


Take a Chance on Me

by LOTSlover



Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Baby, Character Death, Eventual Romance, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Missing Persons, Pregnancy, Slow Burn, Squee, Suspense, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:53:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 125,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25433419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LOTSlover/pseuds/LOTSlover
Summary: Diana goes missing after an attack and is believed dead by everyone but Batman. Finally finding her, Batman discovers she's pregnant. Will Bruce take a chance with the woman that he loves? Will love conquer all? BMWW
Relationships: Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Diana (Wonder Woman)/Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson/Donna Troy
Comments: 103
Kudos: 270





	1. Chapter 1

**TITLE: Take a Chance on Me**  
**AUTHOR: LOTSlover**  
**CHARACTERS: Batman / Wonder Woman**  
**RATING: M**  
**WARNINGS:** Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings...so be warned.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I love Justice League, but especially Batman and Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, I do not own the characters and, if I did, things would be much different for them.

 **SUMMARY:** Diana goes missing after an attack and is believed dead by everyone but Batman. Finally finding her, Batman brings her back only to discover she’s pregnant. Will Bruce take a chance with the woman that he loves? BMWW

**A/N: Just a few things before we begin:  
AU = Alternate Universe that Diana is sent to.  
MU = Main Universe that Diana came from.  
The Alternate Universe moves faster than the Main Universe.  
There are going to be a lot of ups and downs in this fic, but please stick with me.  
I promise I’ll make it worth it.  
I’ll try my best to update every week, but sometimes real life gets in the way of those plans. :)**

Chapter 1

**_Secret Society (MU)_ **

“Well, I’ve finally accomplished the seemingly impossible,” Gorilla Grodd announced, appearing quite pleased with the accomplishment. “I’ve eliminated a member of the Justice League.”

“Eliminated or displaced?” Captain Cold questioned him with a skeptical frown as he spun one of his cold guns in his hand.

“What’s the difference?” Grodd demanded to know with cold, black eyes. “She’s no longer here. Isn’t that what we all wanted?”

“Now, it’s time to get rid of the others,” Sinestro said, rubbing his hands together with excitement.

“Yah, but what happened to the gun?” Parasite asked.

“Superman destroyed it,” Shade revealed to the gathered criminals.

“Well, we’ll just have to make a new one,” Giganta decided.

“The problem is that it’s going to take some time to get another one ready to use,” Grodd informed them. “This last one took at least a month to create.”

“You’re just going to have to do it faster this time,” Shade stated. “I want to use it on Superman next.”

“No, Green Lantern,” Sinestro responded. “He needs to go.”

“We’re going after the Bat next,” Clayface stated in no uncertain terms. “He’s been a pain in my neck for far too long.”

“Look, once the next weapon is ready to use, we can use it on all of them,” Grodd told them. “For the time being, we need to lay low until we’re ready to strike again with our next mission.”

“That’s not going to be easy,” Killer Frost interjected. “The League isn’t gong to sit back and not retaliate. They’re going to be after all our heads for taking out Wonder Woman. It’s going to be an all-out war on villains.”

“Yah,” Cold agreed. “I think you got us into more trouble than we already were in. They’re going to be hellbent to get us all even though Grodd is the one who did it.”

“We should just hand Grodd over to the League, so they won’t come after us,” Killer Frost suggested.

Everyone began murmuring their discontent with this plan of Grodd’s, knowing that the League was going to come down hard on them. Grodd’s patience was rapidly running out as they began to argue with each other about the best way to handle things. Captain Cold leapt to his feet, pointing his cold gun at Sinestro who was aiming his ring at the villain.

“Enough!” Grodd roared, causing everyone to stop what they were doing. “We agreed on this plan and we’re going to see it through to the end no matter how the League reacts. If we act quickly, we can keep eliminating Justice League members until there’s none left. Then, we’ll be free to take over the planet.”

**_Batcave (MU)_ **

“Diana is not dead!” Batman angrily yelled; his gauntleted fists clenched tightly at his sides beneath his cape.

“Bruce, you have to consider the fact that she isn’t coming back,” Clark attempted to reason with him despite his own anguish over the loss of their friend. He was barely holding it together.

“No, I don’t,” Bruce ground out through clenched teeth.

“She’s been missing for three days now,” Clark pointed out, his voice cracking with emotion. “There’s been no sign of her anywhere. She’s gone, Bruce. We have to accept the fact that she’s dead.”

“You can accept it all you want, but I’m not giving up on her,” he heatedly stated as he stalked towards his lab.

Coming to a stop before the table, Bruce looked down at the lasso laying on top of it. He tentatively reached out his hand to touch the golden rope that belonged to Diana only to pull his hand back as if he’d been burned. It was the only thing left of her when the blinding blue light had finally faded away from Grodd’s gun. He could still hear his frantic scream of her name echoing in his ears.

A hand came to rest on his shoulder, one that he shrugged off. He didn’t want to be comforted, didn’t want to be convinced to let her go or accept anything. He would never give up on her or believe that she was dead as long as there was breath in his body.

“I know this is especially hard for you, Bruce,” Clark tried again with a gentler tone. “It hasn’t been easy for any of us, but I know how especially close you and Diana always were.”

“Are, Clark,” Bruce icily corrected him. “Diana and I are close friends.”

Clark released a frustrated breath, running his fingers back through his hair. “I know that you love her,” he said. “That’s why you won’t accept that she’s dead.”

“I’m not in love with Diana,” Bruce adamantly claimed. “I’d go to the same lengths if it was any one of you that was missing.”

Clark smiled sadly knowing that was only partially true. When it came to Diana, there was no length that Bruce wouldn’t go to for her. She held a special place in his heart, one that he refused to acknowledge despite being obvious to his friends.

“Fine,” Clark finally surrendered. “Do your tests and run all of your experiments, but we’re planning a memorial service on the Watchtower for Diana tomorrow. There are also memorial services being held throughout the world in her honor. The Founders will be attending the one in Washington DC.”

“How’s her mother?” Bruce asked without turning around.

“Shayera said that she took it better than she thought she would,” Clark revealed, the words nearly clogging his throat. “I guess it helped knowing that her daughter died in battle.” 

“Figures,” Bruce grunted angrily. “Always a queen before being a mother. Hippolyta proved that when she banished Diana from her own home.”

“Bruce, you can’t…never mind,” Clark replied, deciding it wasn’t worth it to argue with him. “Let me know if you find anything.”

“Yah…sure,” he muttered, his gaze focused on the lasso.

“We’d love it if you would join us for the memorial service,” Clark ventured, already knowing what his response was going to be. “I think it would really help if we were all together during this difficult time, help to comfort one another.”

“I won’t be there,” Bruce firmly stated. “She’s not dead and until I have concrete proof that she is, I’m not giving up her.”

“I hope that you do find her…I really do,” Clark told him. “I would love nothing more than for her to come walking in with that big smile of hers and an iced mocha in her hand. I really want to believe that she’s alive, but everything is telling me she’s gone.”

Bruce refused to talk anymore. He’d done enough talking for the last three days and still no one believed him…believed in her. He had always relied on her in an unspoken way, drawing from her strength and taking faith from her that he’d lost so many years ago. For once in his life, he was going to have to have enough faith for the both of them.

Clark stared at his back, knowing he wasn’t going to get anything more from him today. He was actually surprised that he’d gotten as much as he had from him. It was typically like pulling teeth to get any form of response from him. This had been a goldmine even if it hadn’t been what he’d wanted to hear from him.

“I’ll check in with you later,” Clark said before turning and flying down the secret tunnel.

Bruce removed his gauntlets, tossing them aside on the table before finally picking up the lasso. It began to glow in his hands. He’d always been so afraid of touching it before, so afraid of what it might reveal all the things that he kept secreted away in his heart…things that he didn’t even want to admit to himself sometimes despite the strength of it.

His feelings for Diana was the one thing that scared him the most and now she was gone. No, not gone…just…not here with him. Now, he had to try to find her, had to bring her back where she belonged. If he couldn’t do that, he had no idea what he was going to do.

How could he possibly go on with Diana no longer in his world or his life?

“Master Bruce?”

“Yes, Alfred?”

“Would you care for some dinner?” Alfred gently offered. “You’ve eaten very little these last three days.”

“I’m not hungry,” he replied. His voice sounded tired…dead even to him.

“I’m afraid I must insist that you eat something,” Alfred tried again. “You have to keep your strength up if you’re going to find Miss Diana. You’ll be no good to her if you fall ill or injure yourself on patrol.”

Bruce finally turned around, pulling his cowl off to rest against his back. He folded his arms against his emblemed chest as he studied the elderly man before him. “Do you think Diana is really alive?”

Alfred thoughtfully considered the question, clasping his hands before him. “I believe that anything is possible,” he replied. “As of yet, we have no proof either way. Until you have proof that the princess has passed away, then I believe there’s still a chance that she may be alive. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since coming to know Miss Diana, it’s to never give up on her because she never gives up.”

Bruce smirked in response despite the anguish that consumed him at that moment. “Diana is strong,” he agreed with a nod. “She would fight until her last dying breath. She never gives up even when she should.”

“Then, I dare say that we shouldn’t give up on her,” Alfred wisely stated. “Shall I fix you a sandwich?”

“Yes, please,” Bruce readily decided, finding renewed faith once more. “I have too much work to do. I have an Amazon princess to find.”

**_Gotham (AU)_ **

Bruce Wayne ran through his cell phone messages, frowning at the text message he’d received from Vanessa. They’d gone out a couple of times, but he didn’t feel like they really had much in common. She seemed far more interested in being seen on the arm of Bruce Wayne then in him as a person.

He sighed to himself as he deleted the message without even responding, tucking his phone away in his suit pocket. Why was it so hard to find a woman who was kind and genuine, someone who was interested in him and not his checkbook or the publicity that he received on an almost daily basis.

Glancing out the passenger window of his limo, he couldn’t help wishing that he was someone else, someone who wasn’t in the press on a weekly basis or constantly being hounded by single women who only wanted to get into his bed or his bank account.

Alfred glanced at his charge in the review mirror, noticing the melancholy expression on his face. He’d had a hard go of it recently, securing his company after nearly losing it in a hostile takeover by a person that he had trusted and then that nasty break up almost six months ago with Talia al Ghul. Damn harlot. She had broken his heart and left him holding the pieces, scurrying off with some Frenchman that she had met.

“I received a letter from Master Richard today,” Alfred informed him. “Thinks he’ll be returning this week from his travels abroad.”

“It’ll be good to have him home again,” Bruce absentmindedly said, his gaze still focused on the Gotham landscape. “He’s been gone ever since graduating high school last year.”

“He said he’s ready to start college next month at Gotham University,” Alfred revealed. “He’s planning on studying law.”

“I wonder if he’ll get back with Barbara now that he’s coming home,” Bruce commented.

Alfred sniffed with the comment, revealing his displeasure with Master Richard’s behavior. “I don’t know if Miss Barbara chose to wait on Master Richard,” he replied. “If I remember correctly, their breakup before he left to travel the world was not very well received.”

“I should think not,” Bruce agreed. “They’d been together for almost two years.”

“Well, they’re young,” Alfred said. “Plenty of time to find the right one.”

“Yah…plenty of time,” Bruce softly murmured, lost in his own thoughts once more.

Alfred sighed to himself, wishing there were a way to break him out of his melancholy. It was hard enough for him losing his parents at the age of thirteen in that horrible car accident. Now, he and Dick were the sole Wayne’s left to carry on the family name and the family business.

Bruce tilted his head as he stared out the window, his focus captured by the sight of someone walking down the road. It was quite unusual to see someone out walking on this road. There wasn’t anything around here for miles. She was dressed in some sort of costume, one that left little to the imagination and yet inspired a sense of hope as they drew closer to her.

He watched as she stumbled in her step, barely righting herself before falling to the ground. Something was wrong with her and he needed to find out what that was. “Alfred, pull the car over…next to that woman,” Bruce told him. “I think she’s injured.”

“Yes, sir,” Alfred readily obeyed, pulling the limousine up next to the raven-haired woman.

Bruce was out of the car before Alfred could put it in park, rushing the short distance towards her. “Miss!” he called. “Miss! Are you all right?”

The woman turned around to reveal a beautiful face and striking blue eyes that were listless. There was a nasty gash above her right brow, a purple bruise on the side of her head. Her lips slowly began to curl with the sight of him, her blue eyes brightening in recognition. 

“Bruce,” she murmured his name as she stared at him, fighting to stay on her feet.

“I’m sorry,” he replied with a slow shake of his head, reaching out a hand to steady her. “Do we know each other?”

“I finally found you,” she softly said just before passing out.

Bruce grabbed her before she could hit the ground, picking her up in his strong arms. He quickly carried her to the limo, gently laying her inside before climbing in beside her. Despite her injury, she was the most beautiful woman that he’d ever seen and for some reason, she seemed to know him.

“Alfred, get us home right away and call Leslie,” Bruce urgently said, reaching over and checking her pulse.

He released a relieved breath when he felt her strong, steady heartbeat. His worried gaze drifted over her, drinking in her attire. She was obviously a superhero of some kind. He wondered if she was a new hero in the Justice Association. He’d have to contact them to see if they knew her.

In the meantime, he wanted to get her back to the manor and make sure she was well taken care of. Her face was pale in contrast to the bruise and the blood, her raven hair that tumbled over her shoulders. She was a complete enigma to him, one that he was anxious to unravel. Unfortunately, all of his questions would have to wait until she woke up.

Arriving at the manor, Bruce gathered her up into his arms, removing her from the limo and carrying her up the steps. Passing through the front door, he immediately raced up the steps, taking her to the guest room right next to his. He gently laid her on the bed before rushing into the bathroom to get a wet washcloth for her.

Returning, he began to clean the blood from her face, wondering where she had come from and where she had been going when he’d found her. Had she been coming to Wayne Manor to see him? He couldn’t fathom why. He didn’t know this woman at all, but he was anxious to get to know her.

“Leslie is on her way,” Alfred informed him as he entered the guest room.

“Could you get a glass of water?” Bruce requested. “I want to have it ready in case she wakes up.”

“Right away, sir,” Alfred replied, leaving to fulfil the request.

Bruce carefully tended to the injured woman, finding himself completely enraptured by her. He wasn’t certain what it was about her that drew him to her. He didn’t know anything about her…didn’t even know her name, but he felt some sort of pull towards her.

“What is your name?” he murmured to himself, his brow furrowing as he gently washed the smudges of dirt from her cheeks and chin “Were you in some sort of fight?”

His gaze drifted down to the eagle and WW on her armor, the silver bracers on her wrists. A tiara adorned her head, a red star in the middle of it. It appeared as though she was some sort of warrior. Maybe she had the power of Superman or the speed of Flash. He found himself growing anxious to find the answers he needed.

He wanted to contact the Justice Association to see if they knew her, but he didn’t exactly have a name that he could give them. Maybe she was in some sort of trouble. Was she being hunted by someone? Did someone out there want her dead?

His eyes narrowed as he finished washing her face, his resolve hardening like steel. He was going to keep her here where she would be safe until he knew for sure who she was and what was going on. He didn’t want to put her in any further danger than she obviously already had been.

After that, she could leave if she wanted to as long as she was well enough.

Bruce left her for a moment, rinsing out his washcloth before returning once more. He paused to remove his suit jacket before turning his attention back to his new patient. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he began to wipe the dirt from her arms, discovering another wound on her right arm. It looked like a burn of some kind.

“What happened to you?” he whispered. “Did you run into some of Gotham’s finest?”

Alfred entered the room with a glass of water along with some medical supplies. “I thought we might be able to use this until Leslie can get here.”

“Good idea,” Bruce replied with a nod, setting his washcloth aside and grabbing some gauze.

“I’m going to wait downstairs for Leslie,” Alfred told him before leaving.

Picking up the antiseptic, Bruce wet the gauze before gently dabbing at the nasty wound above her eyebrow. She was most likely going to need sutures. He hoped she didn’t have any more serious internal injuries like a head bleed or a punctured lung.

He glanced at the door, wishing Leslie would hurry. He would hate for her condition to worsen and not be able to help her or to find out anything about her. “Hang on,” he murmured. “Leslie should be here soon.”

“I hear you have a patient in need of some medical attention,” Leslie said as she swept into the room with Alfred right behind her.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Bruce replied, relieved as he got up from the edge of the bed.

Leslie moved in, setting her medical bag on the other side of the patient. “Alfred said that you found her just walking down the road?”

“Yes, it was very unusual,” Bruce told her. “We don’t see people walking down our road. There really isn’t anything out here but the manor.”

Leslie pulled out her penlight, lifting her eyelids and shining the bright light in them. “That’s a pretty serious wound above her eyebrow,” she commented. “She’s going to need stitches. Do you know anything about her?”

“No, nothing,” Bruce said, watching from his position at the foot of the bed with Alfred at his side. “I could tell that something was wrong, so I had Alfred pull over to see if she was all right. She said my name, told me that she’d finally found me. Then, she passed out.”

“And you don’t know her?”

“Never seen her before.”

“I wonder if she knows you from the newspapers,” Leslie thoughtfully said as she began stitching the wound on her forehead. “You know you are pretty famous and the most eligible bachelor in the world, Bruce. Maybe she’s looking for a husband.”

Bruce rolled his eyes with the reminder. “You saw that article in the magazine I take it.”

“Bruce, everyone saw it,” Leslie pointed out. “You ranked number one out of twenty-five bachelors in the world.”

Bruce folded his arms across his chest, a frown on his face. “I highly doubt this woman came looking for me just to try to get me to marry her.”

“It would be nice if it were true, wouldn’t it, Alfred?” Leslie asked, giving the British butler a wink.

“Heaven knows I’ve been praying for the sound of little feet around the manor,” Alfred lightly teased.

“All right, you two,” Bruce said. “Can we just focus on the unconscious mystery woman lying in my guest room instead of my lack of a love life?”

“Maybe she’s the answer to my prayers,” Alfred cheekily said, glancing at his charge out of the corner of his eyes.

“Don’t you have dinner to make?” Bruce asked in irritation.

“Actually, I do need to check on the roast in the oven,” he agreed. “I’ll return shortly.”

Bruce turned his attention back to Leslie. “What do you think?” he questioned her. “Is she going to be all right?”

“Well, it appears so,” Leslie replied. “I’ll know more when she wakes up, but she’ll be fine for the time being. I believe it’s exhaustion and dehydration. I’m going to start an IV and get some fluids into her which should definitely help.”

“I can’t thank you enough, Leslie,” he told her, his gaze focused on the sleeping beauty before him.

“I’ll come back to check on her tomorrow morning but call me right away if she worsens overnight,” she instructed him. “I’ll come right away.”

“I’ll stay here with her all night,” he assured her.

Leslie smiled to herself as she began to bandage the burn on her forearm. She could tell that Bruce had taken a particular interest in the mysterious young woman, giving her hope that maybe this could be the one to finally win the ever elusive heart of Bruce Wayne.

**_Wayne Manor (AU)_ **

Diana groaned softly as she opened her eyes, finding herself in a strange bed. She quickly looked about the room, wondering where she was. The last thing that she remembered was trying to get to Wayne Manor to find Bruce to see if he could help her.

Bruce…

She immediately sat up with a start as Bruce Wayne walked into the room with a tray of food in hand. “You’re finally awake,” he greeted her with an effortless smile that immediately set her at ease. “You had all of us quite worried about you.”

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, feeling a little confused.

Diana watched as he carried the tray to the bedside table before turning his attention back to her. “Here, let me help you,” he offered, adjusting the pillows behind her to help her sit up a little better in bed.

Diana glanced up at him as he hovered over her. This was definitely the Bruce that she had known for the last four and a half years. While he was always quick to help, the quick smile and gentleness in his voice was not typical for him. It only helped to confirm in her mind that she was no longer in her own universe.

“Thank you,” she softly said.

Picking up the tray, he set it across her lap, lifting the cover off the plate to reveal an omelet, toast, and fruit. Diana’s stomach growled in response. It looked absolutely amazing. She hadn’t eaten since she woke up in this new world that she found herself in a week ago.

Bruce sat down on the edge of her bed, anxious to learn more about this woman. “What’s your name?”

“Diana,” she replied as she picked up her fork.

“Diana,” he repeated it, liking the sound of it on his tongue. “Roman goddess of the hunt. It’s a beautiful name.”

Diana grinned at him. “I’m Greek,” she revealed. “Actually, I’m an Amazon.”

Bruce was stunned with the revelation but hid his surprise. “That explains the armor.”

She looked down to find herself wearing a t-shirt. She quickly looked around for her armor, wondering what had happened to it and who had removed it from her body. While she had dreamed of being with Bruce, this wasn’t exactly what she had in mind…and not with this particular Bruce, but her Bruce.

He chuckled with the flash of anxiety that passed over her face. “Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “My friend Dr. Leslie Thompkins removed your uniform and redressed you, so you’d be more comfortable. Your uniform is over there.”

Looking where he indicated, she was relieved to see her uniform and armor lying neatly on top of the dresser. “Thank you for your hospitality,” she said, trying not to rudely devour her breakfast despite how famished she was.

“When I found you on the road, you said my name like you knew me,” he reminded her. “Do we know each other from somewhere?”

Diana sighed as she forced herself to lay her fork down. “I don’t know if you’d believe me if I told you,” she replied as her eyes fell to her plate, disheartened.

“Try me,” he said, tilting his head to try to meet her gaze. “I’m a very good listener.”

“My name is Diana, but in my world, I’m called Wonder Woman,” she informed him.

“In your world?”

“I am part of a team of superheroes called the Justice League,” she explained.

“You mean the Justice Association?”

“In my world where I came from, it’s called the Justice League,” she continued. “We were in a fight with a group of villains. One of them fired some sort of gun at me. I was enveloped in this bright blue light. When I woke up, I found myself here in your world.”

Bruce frowned as he tried to process what she was telling him. “Do you have special powers?”

“I did,” she confessed with a scowl. “For some reason, I lost them when I woke up in your world. I also lost my lasso somehow.”

“What kind of powers did you have?”

“I had strength that rivaled Superman’s,” she began. “I could fly, and I healed quicker than humans do.”

“Why were you looking for me?” he questioned her. “I don’t have any special abilities. I own Wayne Enterprises and I’m a philanthropist. Beyond that, I’m just an ordinary person and I’m definitely not a member of the Justice Association.”

Diana smiled warmly at him, her blue eyes alight with mischief. “You are far from ordinary, Bruce.”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you do at night?”

“I sleep,” he replied, shaking his head in confusion.

Diana sighed heavily, realization washing over her. “You’re not Batman here in your world?”

“Batman?” he repeated. “Who is Batman?”

Her eyes fell closed as her heart sank. She was never going to find a way back home. “In my world, Bruce Wayne is Batman and a member of the Justice League,” she explained. “He is a genius and a brilliant tactician. He doesn’t have any special powers, but he is the best of all us. He’s a brave warrior that never thinks of himself, always putting others’ lives before his own.”

Bruce’s heart clenched a little with the way that she described her Bruce. It was obvious that he meant a great deal to her. “I’m sorry,” he softly said, disheartened. “I’m not a tactician and I’m definitely not Batman.”

She reached over and grabbed his hand without a second thought, squeezing it. “It’s all right,” she reassured him.

“Yes, but you came looking for him to help you and you got me instead,” he replied, an underlying bitterness to his tone. “I don’t know how I could possibly help you.”

“You already have,” she pointed out. “You took me in when I needed help. Besides, it’s really nice to see a familiar face for a change. I was getting rather lonely.”

“So, I look identical to the other Bruce Wayne?” he asked with a grin.

“Exactly,” she confirmed. “You even sound like him, although you have a gentler tone than he does.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“It’s neither,” she replied, picking up her fork once more. “You are who you are in this world—Bruce Wayne. That makes you perfect.”

“Does the other Bruce act like me?”

“He holds himself a little more stiffly,” she thoughtfully said. “His voice is a bit gruffer and he’s stubborn to the point you want to strangle him sometimes.”

“Well, I’m sure Alfred could tell you many stories about my obstinacy.”

A lilting laugh escaped as she reached for her glass of orange juice. “Some things are the same no matter what universe you find yourself in.”

Bruce readily decided that he loved the sound of her laugh and was more than anxious to hear it again…that and her smile. “Maybe we share some other characteristics,” he decided.

“Could be,” she agreed with a shrug of her shoulder.

“Are you married to the other Bruce?”

Diana nearly choked on her eggs, coughing violently as she reached for her juice once more. “No, Bruce and I aren’t married.”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, it’s just…it’s complicated…very, very complicated,” she replied.

“What’s so complicated?” he asked. “It’s obvious by the way that you talk about him that he means a lot to you.”

“He does,” she confirmed. “We’re very close friends. Bruce just won’t let it go any further than that.”

“Why not?” he asked. “Is he not interested in women?”

She was glad that she hadn’t taken another drink of her juice or she would be choking again. “No, he’s very much interested in women,” she informed him with a nod. “Bruce is a complex man. He guards his heart fiercely and is afraid of letting anyone inside for fear he’ll lose them.”

“So, he’d rather live without love than to take a risk?”

“Pretty much,” she admitted with a sigh.

“I don’t know how he has the self-control to do that with you in his life.”

Diana felt her cheeks grow warm with his words. She averted her eyes as she searched for a reasonable response. “His self-control and iron will are legendary.”

He could see she was growing uncomfortable talking about the other Bruce and chose to change the subject. “So, tell me more about you,” he said. “You’re really an Amazon?”

She smiled in relief with the change in subject. “I would say born and raised, but I was created out of clay.”

“Excuse me?” he asked, eyebrows rising in shock.

“My mother is the Queen of the Amazons,” she explained. “She wanted a daughter and formed one out of clay. She prayed to our gods and they answered her prayers. So, here I am.”

“That’s amazing,” he uttered in astonishment. “No wonder they call you Wonder Woman.”

“Do you not have a Wonder Woman here in this world?”

“No,” he confessed. “I’m afraid there is no one like you in this world.”

“I must not have left Themyscira,” she murmured more to herself than to him.

“So, what can I do to help you get back to your world?” he asked, wishing that she could stay here, but knowing that she needed to return to her own world.

“You wouldn’t happen to have a hidden cave beneath the manor, would you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, there you go. We're diving headlong right into a new Wonderbat adventure. Hope you enjoyed this so far. Thanks for reading!
> 
> UP NEXT: The other Bruce reveals a secret to Diana while Batman reaches out to an unexpected person for help in finding Wonder Woman. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**_Wayne Manor (AU)_ **

“You really do have a cave beneath the manor,” Diana thoughtfully said as she stared at the expansive scene that spread out before her.

It looked absolutely nothing like her Bruce’s cave save for a couple of things. The only “bat” thing about it was the little winged creatures huddled above on the rock ceiling and the almost imperceptible chirps they made to each other with the unwelcomed visitors in their domain. There was what appeared to be a computer station set up to the side, but the rest of the cave was difficult to see due to the low lighting.

It was almost surreal to be in the cave beneath Wayne Manor and yet it wasn’t the infamous Batcave that she’d come to know all too well. Missing was the giant penny, the T-Rex dinosaur, and the Joker card along with the glass display case that held uniforms. 

“Here, let me turn on the lights,” Bruce said, pulling out his cell phone and hitting a button.

A flood of lights turned on in rapid succession down the entire length of the cave, revealing more than she could have possibly expected. “Bruce,” she softly gasped his name as she stared in awe. “This is absolutely amazing.”

Bruce shrugged as he began to make his way towards the computer. “It’s nothing really,” he replied. “It’s just a hobby.”

“Just a hobby?” she repeated as she began to wander about the cave. “This looks like far more than just a hobby.”

“I just like to tinker with things,” he told her. “I use my mind all day at work. I like to use my hands in the evening when I come home. It’s a nice distraction.”

“These are great inventions,” she praised him as she approached what appeared to be a sleek looking motorcycle of some kind with a slim design. It looked futuristic. “Did you build this yourself?”

“From the ground up,” he confirmed with a nod as he came to stand next to her, his arms crossing against his chest. “I made some modifications so it’s faster than a traditional motorcycle and nearly noiseless.”

He moved closer to his creation, swinging his leg over the seat. The machine automatically lit up with his presence, the engine spontaneously starting up much to Diana’s surprise. “Bruce, this is remarkable. You should patent your inventions…take them to the R&D department of your company.”

Bruce shook his head as he stared at the motorcycle he sat on. “No way,” he adamantly stated. “You don’t know Gotham like I do, Diana. If some of these things I’ve created fell into the wrong hands…I don’t even want to think about it.”

Diana gently placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it in understanding. “I’m afraid I know all too well what Gotham can be like,” she gently revealed. “In my world, it has some horrible criminals that do anything they can to keep Batman busy every night trying to stop them before innocent people get hurt.”

“We don’t have a Batman to protect Gotham, but we have the Joker,” he revealed much to Diana’s horror.

“The Joker is Gotham’s protector?” Diana exclaimed in shock.

“Yes…what’s wrong with that?” he asked, confused.

“Joker is the epitome of psychotic terror and Batman’s greatest nemesis,” she told him. “He’s a monster.”

“He’s a hero in my world,” he informed her. “The Justice Association has been trying to get him to join them, but he refuses. He feels Gotham needs his full attention.”

“I can’t believe this,” she murmured, trying to process it all. She wished she could see Bruce and tell him about it.

“Anyway, I shudder to think what could happen if they used some of these inventions for evil,” he told her. “If someone got hurt because of one of my creations, I would never forgive myself.”

“I understand, Bruce,” she reassured him.

“Does your world’s Bruce tinker like this?” he asked, finally turning to look at her.

Diana smiled, her eyes brightening as she thought about her Bruce. “Most definitely,” she confirmed. “He’s always creating some gadget or other. You should see his cave. It’s massive like this with all sorts of inventions, equipment and vehicles that he’s modified or created. You two are very much alike in that way.”

Bruce couldn’t help but notice the way her face glowed as she talked about her Bruce. He tried not to notice the twinge of jealousy that he felt. He was being ridiculous. He didn’t even really know this woman and yet he couldn’t deny the attraction he felt to her.

“Does he have a machine that can take you back home?” he asked.

“I don’t think so,” she replied, sadness permeating her eyes. “They probably don’t even know that I’m alive so they’re likely not even looking for me.”

“I’m sorry, Diana,” he said. “I’ll do everything I can to help you get back home.”

“Thank you, Bruce,” she murmured, forcing a smile to her face. “I appreciate all you’ve done for me so far. I should probably move on and see what I can find out about your world. Maybe there’s someone in your Justice Association who can help me.”

“No, you don’t have to leave,” he urgently stated as he got off the motorcycle. “You’re more than welcome to stay here for as long as you need to.”

“I appreciate that, but I don’t want to impose on your hospitality,” she told him. “I’m sure all of this has to be weird to you. I don’t want to make this any stranger for you than it already has been. I know that I’ve already turned your world upside down.”

“You are not an inconvenience,” he insisted. “This old manor is huge and there’s plenty of room. Besides, I want to help you find your way home no matter how long it takes.”

She smiled softly; her heart warmed by his determination to help her. “I can’t thank you enough,” she replied. “It helps to have a friend right now. I was feeling a bit lonely before we ran into each other.”

He returned her smile. “Well, your friend needs to take you shopping,” he told her. “You can’t run around in your uniform and you definitely can’t wear my clothes. They’re too big for you.”

Diana chuckled as she glanced down at the baggy sports shorts that hung past her knees and the t-shirt that she had tied at her waist. “Don’t you like my look?” she teased as she did a little twirl.

Bruce laughed as he moved past her. “Come on, princess,” he said. “We need to improve your look.”

Diana froze in shock as she stared at Bruce who was heading towards the stairs that would lead them up into the manor. Realizing that she wasn’t following him, he turned to look at her. “What is it?” he asked, concerned. “Did I say something wrong?”

“You called me princess,” she softly said as she stared at him in wonder.

“Aren’t you the daughter of the Queen of the Amazons?” he asked, brow creased with confusion.

“Yes, but…my Bruce calls me that,” she replied.

“I’m sorry,” he quickly apologized. “I won’t say it again.”

“No…no, it’s okay,” she reassured him, her lips curling into a smile. “It’s sort of a term of endearment on his part…at least I like to think it is.”

Bruce was relieved to hear that, a tiny smirk on his lips. “Let’s go then…princess.”

“One way or another, I am going to pay you back for all of this,” she told him as she followed him up the stairs.

Bruce glanced back over his shoulder at her, shaking his head. “Did you hit your head so hard that you forgot I’m a billionaire?” he teased.

“No, but I feel as though I should still pay you back,” she insisted. “Maybe I should look for a job while I’m here in Gotham.”

“You are not getting a job,” he stated, his voice broking no room for argument. “You don’t know this world. It’s clearly different from yours and you don’t have your powers.”

“I’m still capable of taking care of myself,” she snapped. “I have been trained as a warrior since I was five years old. I don’t need my gifts to fight or to protect myself.”

“I understand that, but you don’t need a job,” he ground out in frustration. “Just stay here and work on finding a way back home.”

Alfred greeted them as they came down the hallway, arguing like friends who had known each for years. “Ah, just the two people I was looking for,” he greeted them. “I take it Master Bruce showed you his secret cave.”

“It’s fascinating,” she agreed. “He’s a genius just like the Bruce I know.”

“That he is,” Alfred replied. “If you two are ready, I have lunch ready for you on the sunporch.”

“That sounds great,” Bruce said. “That will give us time to develop our game plan on how to get her back to her world.”

Alfred didn’t miss the flicker of disappointment in Bruce’s blue eyes. He knew it was quite selfish of him, but he secretly hoped for his charge’s sake that Miss Diana could stay here with them. It was quite obvious the two of them got along effortlessly already and they’d only just officially met this morning.

“I’m still going to pay you back for all of this,” Diana insisted as she followed Bruce to the sunporch, unwilling to give up the argument.

“Diana, I told you that you don’t owe me anything,” he told her. “I want to help you.”

“I know, but still,” she muttered in frustration.

Alfred smiled to himself as he made his way towards the kitchen. They argued like friends who had known each other forever, comfortable and completely at ease with one another. He had never seen Bruce so relaxed around someone before Miss Diana.

There had been a small handful of women here and there that he’d been attracted to, some that had come to meet quite a lot to him. His greatest love had been Talia al Ghul. He hadn’t been the same since she had left him with his heart in pieces. He’d isolated himself in his cave, only going to work and a rare date here and there to show Gotham that there was still a Wayne around.

Now, it would seem that Master Bruce had found his smile once more thanks to the Amazon princess.

“Alfred, can you have Stephenson’s send over a large selection of clothes for Diana to try on?” Bruce asked, poking his head back into the kitchen. “We have a lot of work to do and she going to need a whole new wardrobe.”

“I’ll call right away, sir,” he replied.

“Thanks,” he said with a grin before disappearing back outside.

“Okay, clothes are coming this afternoon,” he told her as he took his seat next to her. “Now, we can focus on figuring out how to get you home.”

“Bruce, don’t you have work that you need to do?” she asked as she reached for her glass of iced tea. “I’m sure you have more important things to do than keeping me company or trying to solve my problems.”

“Not really,” he confessed, averting his eyes. “I don’t do much beyond working and tinkering in the cave.”

“Don’t you go out on the town…go out on dates…attend parties?” she asked.

Bruce shrugged a shoulder as he focused on his lunch. “I was in love with a woman once. I thought we were going to get married, but she left me a year ago for another man.”

Diana’s hand reached across the table to cover his. “I’m so sorry, Bruce,” she replied. “I had no idea.”

“It’s all right,” he tried to assure her, raising his head to meet her gaze that was so compassionate it caught him off guard. “It was difficult at first, but it’s been slowly getting better.”

“Was it Selina?” she asked.

Bruce tilted his head in question. “Who is Selina?”

Diana was surprised by his response. “She is a woman in Gotham who has had a long, sordid past with my Bruce,” she explained. “She’s also a thief that goes by the name Catwoman.”

“Let me get this straight,” Bruce said. “Your Bruce is Batman, a hero in Gotham and he had a relationship with a thief?”

“Off and on for a few years,” she confessed with a sigh, an ache erupting in her chest as she thought about the spell that Selina had cast on Bruce. She had a hold on him that she didn’t understand. “Selina tended to walk the line between right and wrong depending on how it benefited her. Bruce found her fascinating…felt that they had a connection because of their broken pasts.”

Bruce could tell by her demeanor that Batman’s relationship with Selina bothered her deeply. “Are they still together now?”

“No,” she replied with a shake of her head. “I don’t believe they have been together for quite some time. I think she betrayed him one too many times and he finally broke it off with her.”

Bruce shook his head in disbelief. “I guess he and I share quite a bit in common,” he admitted. “Talia betrayed me too.”

“Talia,” Diana repeated the name with a small smirk. “That’s a name that I recognize. She’s not a good person in my world either. In fact, Bruce had a love affair with her too.”

“I guess we really know how to pick them, don’t we?” he sadly responded. “I’m afraid finding the right one isn’t as easy as movies and songs make it sound.”

“Sometimes it can be right in front of you and you don’t even realize it,” she softly spoke more to herself than to her lunch companion, her mind wandering to her Bruce.

She couldn’t help wondering where he was and what he was doing. Did he think that she was dead? Was he mourning for her or was he too focused on a case in Gotham to think about it? Of course, knowing Bruce, he would do everything in his power to avoid thinking about it, avoid dealing with her death for as long as there was breath in his lungs. Anything that got too close to his heart was too unbearable for him to handle. She knew he cared about her, but just how deep those feelings actually ran was a mystery to her.

She found she greatly missed him despite having his doppelgänger sitting right here across the table from her. They looked identical and were alike in so many ways, but there were still some differences when it came to their individual personalities. 

They were definitely two different men despite their vast similarities. Gazing into the piercing blue eyes that she adored, she knew she was just going to have to keep reminding herself of that fact. It would be so very easy to fall for this Bruce Wayne as well.

At that moment, Dick walked out of the manor, a lazy grin on his face. “So, this is the mysterious woman you picked up off the side of the road?” Dick asked as he sat down at the table with them much to Bruce’s dismay.

“Diana, this is…”

“Dick Wayne,” Dick introduced himself, sticking his hand out. “I’m Bruce’s little brother.”

Diana looked from Dick to Bruce and back again as she tentatively shook his hand. “Brother?” she said in stunned disbelief.

“I was kind of a surprise to our parents,” Dick replied with a chuckle.

Bruce looked at her, confused. “Does your Bruce not have a brother?”

“No,” she revealed. “He’s an only child. He took Dick Grayson in after he lost his parents in an accident.”

“Grayson, huh?” Dick said with a laugh. “You really did come from another universe, didn’t you?”

“Yes, the differences have been quite startling,” she murmured, glancing at Bruce. 

Bruce gave her a reassuring smile, his blue eyes alight with something that she was afraid to give a name to. It caused her insides to tingle with anticipation that she knew she shouldn’t allow herself to feel. This was very dangerous in more ways than one.

 _“This is not the Bruce I fell in love with,”_ she reminded herself as she turned her attention to her meal.

**_Batcave (MU)_ **

Bruce glanced at the clock, trying not to think about the fact that the entire Justice League was meeting at eleven for a memorial service for Diana. Unfortunately, it kept creeping into the back of his mind despite his best efforts to focus on the tests he was doing on Diana’s lasso.

He was desperately trying every single test that he could think of to find a way to prove Diana wasn’t killed by Grodd’s gun. If she were truly dead, he would know it…he would feel it inside. He knew he would feel it and nothing anyone could ever say would change his mind.

Seventeen more minutes.

The thought of a memorial service celebrating Diana’s all too short life created a painful knot that stuck in his throat, causing it to constrict even more than it had felt before. He was furious with her for not diving out of the way of that beam, trying instead to use her bracers to block it and taking the full brunt of it. She shouldn’t be gone. She should be here with them.

But would he finally let her in even if she were here?

He knew that if she were here, he’d still be keeping her at arms’ length. Nothing would’ve changed because he wouldn’t let it. It wasn’t that he didn’t want it to change. He wanted it to change more than anything in this world. The fact was that he was afraid.

Afraid of change. Afraid of commitment. Afraid of risks. Afraid of losing her if he had a relationship with her. Afraid of…just so many things.

The barrage of doubts arose in his mind once more like a spinning cyclone, making him wonder all over again why he couldn’t control his heart like he’d been able to control every other part of him. He’d mastered domination over his mind and body long ago. His heart, unfortunately, hadn’t been as easy to tame…at least when it came to her.

He’d been able to control it for the most part over the years, allowing himself dalliances here and there to quench a need that refused to be ignored. He assumed that was why he’d been with Selina for so long. Deep down, he knew that nothing more could ever come from a relationship with her past sex, nothing deeper…nothing remotely close to making a commitment.

It was safer that way. Safer for him and safer for his heart.

That was until Diana had burst into his life, dropping from the sky with that long raven mane blowing in the wind and a striking blue-eyed gaze that he couldn’t quite forget about. She always lingered there in the recesses of his mind, always on the periphery ready to invade his thoughts at any given moment.

Now, she was gone and his heart along with her.

Bruce swore to himself that he would change it all if he could just get her back. He would let her know his true feelings for her, would do his best to lower his walls and let her into his life. He didn’t have to let her into his heart. She’d already managed to find her way into it, craving out a special place all her own.

Twelve minutes.

The knot in his throat seemed only to expand with the thought of everyone on the Watchtower mourning her death and celebrating her life. They would be exchanging stories and tales of her adventures, shared moments on missions and meals on the Watchtower.

He couldn’t bear it. He knew he was expected to be there, but he’d rarely done what was expected of him. This one hit far too close to him, nearly as close as when he’d lost his parents nearly thirty years ago. It felt like he was reliving that loss all over again with Diana missing.

Bruce checked the calculations one more time, wanting to make certain that it was correct. He sat back in his chair as he stared at the screen. There was some sort of residual energy on Diana’s lasso that was giving off some sort of strange signature.

“It can’t be,” he murmured to himself. “Could it be?”

Deciding he needed to check it out further, he contacted the one person that he knew could help him confirm that Diana was still alive. Sitting forward, he waited with bated breath, hoping that the system they had worked would function correctly and that he would respond.

“I have to admit I’m a little surprised you contacted me,” he responded.

A tiny smirk formed at the corner of Bruce’s mouth as he stared at the image of Justice Lord Batman. “Not as surprised as I am,” he confessed. “I need help.”

“What kind of help?” Lord Batman asked, appearing somewhat suspicious.

“Diana is missing,” Bruce revealed. “I need help finding her.”

“What happened?”

Bruce explained every single detail of the incident—the type of gun he thought Grodd may have used, the bright blue beam, the way Diana had completely vanished, how Superman had destroyed the gun in an effort to stop Grodd. He also revealed that he had her magic lasso and all the tests that he’d been running on it.

Lord Batman listened intently, a grim expression on his cowled face. “Are you certain she’s not dead?”

“She’s not dead,” Bruce adamantly stated. “I’d know it if she were dead.”

Lord Batman seemed to contemplate his words for a moment. “Let’s assume for one moment that she is alive,” he replied. “What do you think happened to her?”

“I think she was either transported to another universe or maybe a different timeline,” he confessed.

“That’s going to be difficult to prove,” Lord Batman stated.

“I know, but—”

“Not impossible,” he continued as he rubbed his chin. “It’s going to be time consuming. It’s not something that we’re going to be able to do in just a couple of days.”

“So, you’ll help me?”

“Yes, I’ll help you,” he confirmed. “I know what it feels like to think that you’ve lost someone you love.”

“How are things?” Bruce asked.

The corners of Lord Batman’s lips curled ever so slightly much to Bruce’s surprise. “Better now,” he informed him.

“Glad to hear it,” Bruce said with a smirk, happy that at least one version of himself was happy and in love.

“What about you?” he questioned him. “Are you two finally together?”

Bruce grew solemn as he thought about how things could have been…should have been…for the last couple of years if only he hadn’t been so stubborn and consumed with his mission. “No, not yet,” he admitted with a sigh. “Hopefully, I can change all that once I find her.”

“You had better because you never know when she might never come back,” Lord Batman reminded him. “I hope this isn’t that time.”

“Me too,” he agreed.

“Look, send me all your notes so far and I’ll review everything,” Lord Batman told him. “I’ll contact you once I’ve come up with something. Too bad you can’t send me the lasso.”

“Definitely not,” Bruce adamantly stated.

“I knew you’d say that,” he told him with a cocky smirk. “It’s the only link you have left to Diana.”

“Yes,” Bruce murmured. “There’s also no telling what trying to transport across dimensions could do to it. It might alter test results.”

“Yah, there is that,” he agreed only to be interrupted.

“Bruce, are you done yet?”

Bruce was surprised when Lord Batman’s version of Diana appeared on the screen with him. Her raven hair that had been cut far too short last time he’d seen her was now shoulder length, the darkness and hatred that had pervaded her blue eyes completely gone. Now, there was just love for the man in the chair.

Seeing the Justice Lords’ Diana made Bruce miss his Diana even more. It had been four days since she had vanished, four very long days of worrying and wondering and fighting to prove that she wasn’t dead. While it had been more than difficult, he wasn’t about to give up until she was back where belonged.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to help you find her,” Lord Batman stated. “I’ll be in contact with you.”

“Whatever help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.”

Lord Batman merely nodded, turning his attention to his Diana before cutting the communication. Bruce leaned forward, holding his head in his hands as he struggled with the emotions that continued to storm through him. All the doubts and fears that he’d been wrestling with persisted in tormenting him in a relentless pursuit of his sanity.

He just hoped that she was safe wherever she was and that she knew he was fighting to bring her back home. He didn’t want her giving up for any reason. He wanted her to fight to return home to them…to him. She needed to do whatever it took to come back.

Bruce lifted his head to look at the clock. The memorial service on the Watchtower had started with probably no sign of ending any time soon. There was no doubt an endless string of stories to share and affection being shown for the Amazon princess.

It wasn’t that she didn’t deserve all the praise being shown to her. She deserved it and so much more. It was just premature. Diana wasn’t dead. He needed more to prove it. Everyone was ready to say goodbye and to just move on, but he wasn’t prepared to do that, and he probably never would be. 

**_Watchtower (MU)_ **

Flash wiped a tear of laughter from his eye as he stood before the podium in the auditorium that was filled to overflowing with all of his teammates as well as civilian staff. There was one person noticeably missing from the gathering, but no one said a word about it.

“And then she turns and looks at me,” he said between bouts of laughter, doing his best Wonder Woman impersonation. “And she says…she says…’Flash, by Hera you are so dead! Now get over here and clean this up or I’ll send you straight to Hades myself!’”

Everyone burst out laughing with the story, some wiping away tears of amusement while others couldn’t contain their sorrow over the loss of such a bright and warm light in the world. “So, needless to say, I raced over to clean up the mess I’d made. Making Wondy mad is never…was never…a good idea.”

“Thank you, Flash,” Superman said, noticing how Wally was struggling to hold it together. He came to stand at his side, his arm slipping around his shoulders as the scarlet speedster lowered his head, his body shaking as he broke down in tears.

Flash turned away from the Man of Steel, racing off the stage in a red blur and out of the auditorium. The tense silence that permeated the large room was punctuated by the frequent sniffles and muffled crying. Everyone felt the weight of such a loss—oppressive, crushing, an emptiness that was overwhelming.

Diana’s death had left a cavernous void that no one could ever begin to fill, and no one ever would.

Green Lantern took that as his cue to approach the podium. His back was ramrod straight was he came to a stop, his stance conveying his Marine training. He cleared his throat before he began, gaining everyone’s attention with that singular action.

“I’ll never forget that first time that I met Diana,” he began, his lips curling with fond remembrance. “I called her a ‘rookie in a tiara’. Let’s just say that did not go over well with Diana. I’m probably lucky she didn’t knock my head clean off my shoulders right then and there.”

Scattered chuckles could be heard throughout the room, all knowing exactly how Wonder Woman would not appreciate being labeled like that especially with her proud Amazonian upbringing. “It didn’t take long, however, for Diana to prove that she was definitely no rookie. She was a highly skilled warrior that anyone would be a fool to mess with though Batman tried on a regular basis when they sparred. She proved herself time and time again, always readily throwing herself into a fight without a second thought about herself.

“Diana was truly the greatest teammate and friend that anyone could ever ask for…just don’t make her mad. I’ve been on the receiving end of my fair share of tirades made complete with Greek curses and all, and I’m fairly certain I deserved every bit of it. Flash and I always had a way of pushing her buttons, but no one did it better than Batman.”

The crowed grew absolutely silent once more with the mention of the Dark Knight, his absence an unspoken elephant in the room. Lantern cleared his throat as he continued. “Diana, we love you and we’ll miss you,” he said, his voice almost cracking with emotion. “May you rest in peace, rookie.”

“Thank you, John,” Superman said as he took the podium again, his fingers wrapping securely around the edges of it. “I believe that Shayera would like to say a few words now.”

Shayera moved to stand before her teammates, tears gathered in her green eyes. “I know that Diana and I have had our ups and downs over the years, but she will always be my friend,” she said. “We were just beginning to become real friends again when she was taken from us. I’m having a very hard time believing that she is really gone. It’s just…so unimaginable not having her around anymore.

“Diana was always larger than life, so fierce and yet was filled with so much compassion. I’ll miss her smile and her laugh. I won’t be able to look at an iced mocha ever again without thinking of her. I’ll miss you, my friend and my sister.”

Tears trailed down the Thanagarian’s face as she quickly turned away. John went to her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her as she cried. He tilted his head down to kiss the top of her head, eventually leading her off the platform.

The Martian Manhunter took to the empty podium, lowering his head as he considered his words. “There are no words that could come close to describing Diana or what she means to me,” he began, pausing to gather himself. “Teammate, confidant, friend…they all seem so superficial and hollow. She was like my family…”

J’onn’s voice trailed off, fond memories spent with the Amazon rising in his mind. “Diana was never one to back down from anything,” he finally continued, the corners of his lips curling slightly. “She wasn’t afraid to tell people what she thought or call you out if you were out of line. She’s irreplaceable…the best of all of us.” 

J’onn walked away from the podium, Superman assuming the position of master of ceremony once more. “Everyone knows that Diana and I were close,” he softly said. “She was the sister I never had, and I was the brother she never wanted.”

A wave of laughter filtered through the packed auditorium, dying down as the Man of Steel spoke again. “I know the world always tried to link was romantically, but that’s not how it was for us. She was seriously like my sister. She could take me on in a fight and yet I always felt the need to protect her. I know it sounds crazy, but she was so sweet and innocent. I was always afraid of her getting hurt because I didn’t think she understood the world around her that was so foreign to her and yet I think she understood it better than anyone.

“She taught us all so much during her short time in Man’s World as she called it. The Justice League…her friends have suffered a crushing loss, but so has the world.”

Superman’s gaze roamed over everyone as they stood to their feet, applauding and showing their love and respect for the fallen Amazon. It was truly a touching scene to witness. He wished Diana could have seen it…knew how much she was genuinely loved.

It warmed his heart as many of their teammates wiped their eyes, turning to each other for comfort. Diana had come to Man’s World to help save it and spread the message of peace and unity. Through her spirit and example, she had also brought about unity among the League.

As Clark drank in the scene before him, he could help noticing the little red dot on the security camera in the upper corner of the auditorium flickering before becoming solid once more. Bruce had been here in his own way…the only way he could be at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Wow! What a mess we have going on here! 
> 
> UP NEXT: Bruce recruits a friend to help him find Diana. Meanwhile, Diana gets an unexpected invitation she can't say no to. :)
> 
> THANK YOU for all the reviews, kudos, and bookmarks. I can't tell you how much your support of my fic means to me. This fic has become dear to me and I hope you love it too. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

** Watchtower (MU) **

Superman looked around the table at the Founders gathered for the meeting that he didn’t want to have at all. His eyes fell on the empty chair to his left, the one that belonged to Diana. The dispirited chatter of his four teammates was quickly drowned out by the anguish that gripped him with the loss of his best friend.

He swallowed hard as tears formed behind his eyes, refusing to allow them to fall. He missed her greatly, the thought that he was never going to see her again more than he could bear to think about. He knew that Bruce refused to believe that she was gone, but he was going to have to face that fact sooner or later whether he liked it or not.

He was worried about how Bruce was going to handle her death once he finally came to that realization. He feared that his friend would never recover from the devastating loss, knowing how difficult it was for him to deal with death since the loss of his parents.

The Man of Steel’s eyes drifted to Batman’s empty chair, knowing that he would not make an appearance at the meeting today especially with the difficult discussion that they were going to have. He honestly hoped that Bruce found her, but he feared there was nothing to be found.

Once the meeting was over, he was going to visit Bruce to let him know what had been decided by the Founders. He would have liked to have had Bruce’s input on the decision, but they were going to have to try to make it without him.

“All right, everyone,” Superman finally said, getting his teammates’ attention. “We should begin. You know why I called all of you here this afternoon. I hope that you’ve all had a chance to consider our options.”

“Do we really have to do this right now?” Flash asked with a dark scowl, his typical jovial manner missing. “It’s not even been a week yet!”

“I’m afraid so, Wally,” Clark gently replied. “I know this is very difficult for all of us, but it’s a decision that we need to make.”

“I just wish that we could wait for a few months…maybe see what Bats is able to find,” Flash tried again, his forearms on the conference table, his chin resting on his crossed arms.

John put his hand on Wally’s shoulder, squeezing it affectionately. “I know it’s been rough, but we gotta move forward on this.”

“There is no telling what Gorilla Grodd is planning,” J’onn added. “We need to move swiftly to replace Diana, so we are prepared when he strikes again.”

“Do you think he can get another gun built that quickly?” Shayera asked. “Superman destroyed his other one. I imagine it could take a while to build a new one.”

“Unless he already has more ready to use on us,” John said.

Shayera shuddered with the thought, wrapping her arms around herself. “He could take us out one by one,” she softly murmured.

“We need to be extra vigilant when we go anywhere,” Clark sternly stated, his intent gaze meeting every single teammate’s eyes. “I don’t care if it’s a trip to the grocery store. We have to be hyper aware of our surroundings because it could come out of nowhere.”

“So, what do we do?” Flash questioned him, sitting up in his chair. “Stay in hiding?”

“We can’t do that,” Clark adamantly replied. “The world still needs the Justice League.”

“But if we’re being hunted, then there isn’t going to be any of us around to save the world,” Flash argued.

“We can’t think like that,” J’onn told him. “There are risks every time we go out on a mission. This is no different.”

“It is different!” Flash yelled as he bolted to his feet. “Diana is dead and she’s never coming back.”

Tense silence filled the room as everyone sat there, no one making eye contact with anyone. The truth of the matter was that Flash was right. Diana wasn’t coming back, and they had no way of knowing which one of them could be next. It was terrifying and yet they all knew they had to carry on despite the dangers.

“Wally…” Clark began, his voice trailing off.

Flash took off in a blur, exiting the conference room without a word. John stood to his feet, prepared to go after him. “Don’t, John,” Clark softly said. “Let him be. We’re all struggling with Diana’s death. It’s going take some time.”

John retook his seat, sighing heavily. “This sucks,” he grumbled under his breath.

“I’ll take nominations for who should take Diana’s place,” Clark announced, steeling himself against the grief that consumed him. “I’ll call another meeting in a few days so we can vote on her replacement.”

“I can’t do this,” Shayera murmured as she got up, racing out of the room.

J’onn, John, and Clark sat in silence, each staring at the conference table for several long moments. “I was going to see if Donna would be able to take Diana’s things from her quarters, but maybe it would be best if we just left it for a while,” Clark said. 

“I think it might be prudent to wait to see what Batman is able to learn,” J’onn voiced his opinion.

“You don’t believe she’s dead?” John asked, finally looking up.

“I am unable to find any trace of Diana,” J’onn confessed, his eyes glowing brightly. “Therefore, I have to assume that she has passed away. At the same time, I have learned long ago to never bet against Diana or Batman for that matter. If there is any possibility that Diana might still be alive somewhere, Batman will find her and bring her home.”

“I hope you’re right,” John muttered with a disheartened sigh.

“I hope so too, but until that happens, we must find a replacement for her no matter how difficult it is,” Clark insisted. “Grodd and the Secret Society isn’t going to sit back and rest in the fact that they have eliminated Wonder Woman. They’re going to be gunning for all the Founders now.”

“And then the rest of the League,” John added.

“Until there is none of us left,” J’onn finished.

** Batcave (MU) **

Bruce carefully reviewed the information that he’d been able to gather so far on Diana’s disappearance. That’s what he was calling it—a disappearance. Any other description was not suitable in his mind or acceptable. He was somewhat surprised by the amount of information that he had actually been able to gather so far. It was somewhat encouraging, giving him hope that she was still alive.

The problem was where was she and how was he going to bring her home.

He decided that he would worry about that later, tackling one problem at a time. First, he had to prove that she was even alive. Memorials were taking place all over the world, honoring the Amazon warrior who had given her life for the good of mankind.

He couldn’t help wondering where she was at that moment. What was she doing? Was she trying to find her way back to them or was she injured and unable to search for a passageway home? Did she think about him, wondering if he was looking for her?

He wished that he could send her some sort of message, letting her know that he was doing everything that he could to find her and bring her back where she belonged. The problem was that she wasn’t even in their universe as far as he knew.

His eyes fell closed as his rubbed his forehead. His paranoid mind began taking him places that he knew he couldn’t allow himself to go. Lingering in those dark places could cause him to plummet into a downward spiral that he might never escape from. Diana needed him at his best right now and he wasn’t going to fail her.

“Any luck?”

Bruce didn’t bother turning around as he responded. “Some.”

“That doesn’t exactly sound very encouraging.”

“It’s more than I had yesterday,” he retorted as he began typing.

“You really believe she’s alive, don’t you?” Damian said.

“Until I have solid evidence proving otherwise, Diana is still alive and I’m going to find her,” he stated with a conviction he felt bone deep.

“Anything I can do to help?” his son asked, resting his forearm on the back of his father’s chair as he took a bite of his apple.

“Did you get your homework done?”

“An hour ago,” he replied.

“I want you to practice your Hapkido,” he told him.

“I practiced it yesterday,” he argued.

“Do it again.”

“I’d rather help you,” he countered.

“I’m doing this myself,” he flatly stated.

“You know you might get further if you had some help,” Damian groused.

“I have help,” Bruce revealed.

“Who is it?” his son demanded to know.

Zatanna appeared in the Batcave at that moment, removing her top hat before sinking into a chair on the platform with an audible, weary sigh. The expression on her face did absolutely nothing to alleviate the tension and worry teeming inside of Bruce since the moment Diana vanished.

“So, because I don’t have magic, I can’t help you?” Damian asked, throwing his hands up. “I’m going to work on my Hapkido. Call me if you decide you want my help.”

Bruce watched as Damian left, turning his attention back to Zatanna. “No luck?”

“I’ve tried everything that I can think of, Bruce,” she replied, tilting her head back against the head rest. “There is just no sign of her anywhere in this known universe. I’ve searched everywhere and there’s just nothing.”

Bruce released a huff of frustration. “That’s what I thought.”

Zatanna lifted her head to give him an incredulous glare. “You knew she wasn’t here?” she nearly cried. “I’ve been killing myself for the last four days searching for her and you knew she was gone?”

“Let’s just say that I had my suspicions, but I needed confirmation,” he told her. “You did that for me.”

“Bruce Wayne,” she bit out. “I should turn you into the jackass you are and deposit you on an uninhabited planet to live out the remainder of your days.”

“I needed confirmation that Diana wasn’t transported to another part of the universe,” he attempted to explain. “By not finding any trace of her, I know that she has been most likely transported to another universe.”

Zatanna’s eyes narrowed as she stared him down. “Bruce, don’t you think that it might be time to consider the notion that Diana is dead…that the reason I can’t find any trace of her is because she was obliterated by Grodd’s weapon? I mean it’s been almost a week.”

“Diana is not dead,” Bruce adamantly stated. “You can all believe that if you want, but she is alive and I’m going to find her.”

Zatanna stood to her feet, walking over to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, her features softening some with understanding. “Bruce, I know this is hard for you, but at some point, you’re going to have to accept the fact that Diana isn’t coming back.”

Bruce momentarily closed his eyes, digging deep to find the patience that he’d been rapidly running out of the last few days. Zatanna didn’t deserve the anger that had been building inside of him since Diana went missing. She was one of his oldest friends and she was only trying to help him.

“I know she’s alive, Zatanna,” he firmly stated. “It’s not a matter of me refusing to accept death. It’s about finding Diana and bringing her home where she belongs.”

Zatanna tilted her head thoughtfully as she studied him. “You’re in love with her,” she replied.

“I am,” he confessed without hesitation, surprising both himself and her. “And when she returns, I’m going to tell her.”

“Wow…I’m so glad that you’re finally admitting it,” she said with a look of shock, taking her seat again. “You’ve been in love with her for what? Four years now? I just wish it hadn’t taken something like this for you to finally acknowledge it.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” he sarcastically responded. “I should have done something about it years ago, but I didn’t. Now, I’ve got to find her so I can get her back.”

“What’s your proof that she’s even alive?” she asked.

“I found a strange signature on Diana’s lasso,” he revealed. “I’ve been running tests on it and I think it proves that Diana was transported to another universe instead of killed by Grodd.”

“Well, you better find Grodd before he starts transporting the entire League out of this universe or there won’t be any of us left to bring the League home,” she told him.

“I’m trying to work on that too.”

“Any luck?”

“None,” he informed her. “He went underground with his Secret Society. He’s probably creating a new gun like the one Superman destroyed.”

“It’ll only be a matter of time before he resurfaces with a new weapon and there’s no telling what that one will do,” she pointed out. “The next weapon just might wipe us all out permanently.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he confessed.

“Well, let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help you,” Zee said, standing to her feet once more.

“Thanks, Zee,” he replied, rubbing his eyes in an effort to diminish the headache that refused to leave him.

“Bruce, when’s the last time that you actually slept?”

“I slept this morning when I got back from patrol.”

“How long?”

“A couple of hours.”

“That is not long enough,” she insisted. “You need to get more sleep. You look terrible.”

“Thanks, but I’ll sleep when Diana is safely back.”

“You’re the most stubborn man on the planet.”

“I’ve been called much worse,” he flatly stated, noticing he had an incoming message from his counterpart. He was more than anxious to talk to him to see what he had discovered.

“I give up,” she replied. “See you later.”

Zatanna disappeared from sight as Bruce hit the button to accept the incoming call from another dimension. “What did you find?” Bruce demanded to know without a formal greeting.

“Hello to you too,” his doppelgänger replied. “Right to the point just like I’d be if I were in your situation.”

“Which is why I’m going to ask again,” he stonily responded. “What did you find?”

“I reviewed all of your test results and reran them myself,” Lord Batman told him.

“And?”

“You’re right,” he told him. “Your Diana is still alive.”

** Wayne Manor (AU) **

Bruce Wayne entered the manor, tossing his briefcase onto a nearby chair before making his way towards the kitchen. He began loosening his tie as he entered to find Alfred already beginning the task of preparing dinner.

“You’re home early,” Alfred noted with a slight twitch of his lips.

Bruce ignored the teasing look on his British butler’s face. “My meeting finished early,” he claimed as he picked up the mail. “Where’s Diana?”

“She is in the cave on the computer,” Alfred revealed. “She’s been down there most of the day.”

Bruce frowned with the news. “She’s working too hard,” he readily decided. “She needs to get outside.”

“She’s trying to find a way home,” Alfred gently pointed out, knowing that wasn’t what his surrogate son wanted to hear. “I know she’s been here for almost two months and it feels like she belongs here, but this isn’t truly her home.”

“I know,” he softly said. “It’s just…hard. I like having her here.”

“We all do,” Alfred agreed. “Master Richard seems to have taken a shining to her.”

Bruce scowled as he tossed the mail aside. “Dick takes a shining to every female he meets. He chases anything in a skirt. Has he even seen Barbara since returning home?”

“I believe they met for lunch today,” he informed him.

“I can only imagine how that went,” Bruce said with a roll of his eyes. “Should we take bets as to whether he returns with a black eye or not?”

“No black eye,” Dick announced as he entered the kitchen with a grin on his face.

“So, where did she hit you?” Bruce asked, folding his arms against his chest.

“Barbara didn’t hit me,” Dick informed him with a smug expression. “In fact, she was very happy to see me.”

“You’re such an ass,” Bruce grumbled under his breath.

“Where’s Diana?” Dick asked, looking around.

“She’s down in the cave working on finding a way home,” his brother replied.

Dick smirked at him. “You’re not too excited about helping her get home,” he goaded him.

“Of course, I want to help her get back home,” Bruce insisted as he removed his suit jacket and tie. “I’m just not sure how to do it. I don’t know how to build a time machine.” 

“You built all those other contraptions downstairs,” Dick pointed out. “I’m sure you could figure out how to build a machine to help her get home.”

“Dick, do you have any idea about the science behind such a concept?” Bruce demanded to know. “Even if I could build something like that, what’s to say that I don’t obliterate all her molecules and kill her? Or what if I transport her into a mountain or the middle of the ocean? I won’t be responsible for hurting her.”

Dick laughed as he shared a knowing look with Alfred. “All right…all right,” he said, holding up his hands. “I just thought you might be able to help her.”

Bruce shook his head in overt agitation. “I’m just not smart enough,” he said. “She needs someone smarter than me.”

“Hey, you’ll figure it out,” Dick assured him, clapping him on the back. “Even if you don’t want her to leave.”

“You don’t want her to leave either,” Bruce countered with a frown.

“Yah, but she doesn’t look at me the way she looks at you,” Dick told him.

Bruce’s head snapped to the side, staring at Dick in stunned disbelief. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Am I lying, Alfred?” Dick asked, looking for help.

“Please, do not drag me into this conversation,” Alfred said, “but if I had to give an opinion, I’d have to agree with Master Richard.”

“You two don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bruce stated, wanting desperately to believe them, but knowing that loving her would be a mistake.

Then, why did his heart leap every time he even thought about her let alone saw her?

XXX

Diana sat before Bruce’s computer system in the cave beneath the manor. Her chin was cupped in her hand as she searched the web for any information about time travel or transportation between dimensions. She’d been doing this same search for two months now, jotting down notes and hoping to uncover something that would help her return home. She’d been able to accumulate quite a bit of information and knowledge that could help, but she really needed someone who knew how to build a machine to take her home.

The first week of being in this new universe had been rather lonely, leaving her feeling lost and isolated. Since finding Bruce, Alfred, and Dick, she felt a sense of much-needed comfort and familiarity that she’d desperately needed. Even though they weren’t the same trio that she had left behind, they were similar enough to help anchor her and help her to focus on the need to find a way back to her universe.

She frowned as she reached for her tea, finding her cup empty. She hated to stop now to get more tea. She’d discovered a newly published article by Dr. Emil Hamilton. She knew Dr. Hamilton was a close friend of Superman’s in her dimension, but she had no idea which side he was on in this universe since he ended up betraying Kal in her world.

Right now, she was trying to lay low and remain inconspicuous. Even though Bruce didn’t know of Wonder Woman or Diana from Themyscira, it didn’t mean that her doppelgänger wasn’t still out there somewhere, hiding in anonymity.

She didn’t want to create a firestorm with her appearance in this universe, letting the whole world know that she’s not supposed to be here. That’s why she hadn’t allowed Bruce to contact the Justice Association to see if they could help get her back home yet. 

Despite the Justice Association being the equivalent of her League, she wasn’t certain who she could trust and who she couldn’t. Losing her powers added another degree of difficulty. Plus, she didn’t have her lasso any longer, making her wonder who had it right now.

With any luck, her Bruce had her golden lasso and was keeping it safe for her. Thinking of him brought a sense of comfort and warmth to her heart. She wondered if he was looking for her. She knew if he thought for one moment that she was still alive, he wouldn’t stop trying to find her. The thought brought a smile to her face that turned into a frown as memories of their heated argument rose in her mind.

She’s asked him to go to charity event with her just before their fight with the Secret Society, but Bruce had flatly denied her for no good reason other than he had been in a horrible mood. It had turned into a rather nasty fight, one that she regretted. Still, the hurtful words that he’d said to her stung even now.

Diana felt an unexpected guilt drift over her thinking of her Bruce. Conflict rose up from somewhere deep within her as she thought about the two Bruce’s in her life. She’d already been in love with Batman long before being transported to this dimension. Now, she found herself beginning to fall in love with this Bruce too.

It hadn’t been awfully hard to do. They were alike in so many ways and yet there was enough of a difference between them that she knew they were two very distinct people. She leaned forward, holding her head in her hands as her elbows came to rest on the desk. She couldn’t believe that she had allowed this to happen. 

How did she let herself fall for two men? 

She knew she was going to have to tap deep into her self-control when it came to Bruce, not allowing herself to get involved with him. She felt a profound sorrow bloom in her chest with the thought. What if she never made it back to her world? What would she do then?

Diana ran her fingers back through her raven hair, feeling the conflict growing stronger within her. She missed her home and yet this was beginning to feel like home to her. Should she give up and just accept that this was her home now or should she continue to fight to get back to her world and her Bruce despite the fact he didn’t want her?

Everything inside of her screamed at her to fight. It was innate, born deep inside of her to never give up. At the same time, she felt a sense of peace here and she knew the reason why.

“How’s it going down here?”

Just the sound of his voice caused butterfly wings to erupt in the pit of her stomach. It’s rich, baritone sound had always had an effect on her, but it seemed stronger now for some reason. She tamped down on her desire, knowing that she couldn’t allow herself to give in to what she’d wanted for so long now.

“I think I may have found something,” she replied, forcing a smile to her face.

“Great,” Bruce replied while a disheartened sigh rose in his throat. “What did you find?”

“It’s an article that was just published yesterday by Dr. Emil Hamilton,” she revealed, not looking up at him for fear of giving away her growing feelings for him. “It’s about teleportation between dimensions.”

“Was he able to build an actual teleportation machine?” he asked, settling into the chair next to her.

“Ah…it doesn’t look like it so far,” she revealed, biting at her bottom lip. “It looks like he is only theorizing the concept.”

“Maybe we’ll have to contact him to see if he can help you,” he softly said with a sidelong glance.

The glow of the computer screens on her face only seemed to add to her beauty. He quickly shoved that thought aside to focus on the problem at hand. It was more than difficult being this close to her and not kiss her or hold her in his arms.

“What is your Dr. Emil Hamilton like?” she asked him. “Do you know him at all?”

“I know Dr. Hamilton,” Bruce confirmed with a nod of his head. “He’s an exceptionally good man, very kindhearted. His work has been very well received and praised.”

“I might do some research on him before we contact him just to be sure,” she replied with a frown.

“What is he like in your world?”

“He is a close friend of Superman and a highly respected scientist,” she explained. “Unfortunately, he ended up betraying Superman.”

“I can make some phone calls for you…see what I can find out,” he offered.

“That’s sweet of you, Bruce, but you’ve already done so much for me,” she said with a shake of her head, hooking a curly lock of hair behind her ear. “You need to focus on your own life, not my dilemma.”

“Hey, we’re in this together now,” he assured her, taking her hand in his. “I’m not going to abandon you or let you give up hope.”

She smiled softly at him, enjoying the warmth of his touch far more than she should. “I appreciate that, but you’re going to want to move on with your life. There has to be special someone you want to take out on a date or friends you want to meet up with.”

“Not really…although, there is something that I was going to ask of you,” he told her, trying to ignore the nervous flutter inside of him.

“What is it?”

“There’s this charity event next month that I need to attend,” he began. “I was hoping you’d consider going with me.”

Diana tried to keep her heart from beating out of her chest as she gazed into his eyes full of such hope. She knew that she couldn’t go out with him. Reporters would be swarming all over the event, anxious to get pictures of Bruce and whoever he brought as his date. She needed to lay low…stay anonymous. She also shouldn’t be going out on a date with him.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” she hesitantly replied. “I’m trying to stay out of sight. I don’t want to stir up any unwanted attention that could cause you trouble.”

“You’re not going to cause me trouble, Diana,” he reassured her. “Besides, it’s a closed event. Reporters are not allowed to be there.”

She drew a deep breath as she tried to think up another excuse as to why she shouldn’t go out with him, but she found her will-power wavering as she lost herself in the azure eyes that stared back at her. “I’ll think about it,” she lamely said.

“Please, don’t make me go by myself,” he pleaded with her. “I hate these events, but I’m expected to go because of who I am.”

“Can’t you make Dick go in your place?” she asked.

“He’ll be there too,” he revealed. “It’s an event that honors a charity that my mother created.”

“What is the charity?”

“It’s support for underprivileged kids to assist them in paying for their college tuition,” he explained. “It’s something that was near and dear to my mother’s heart.”

“I’ll attend the charity event with you,” she told him.

“Really?” he asked, clearly excited.

“Yes,” she confirmed. “You’ve already done so much for me and it’s obviously something that means a lot to you. I want to do something for you in return.”

“Thank you, Diana,” he replied. “I don’t want you to feel obligated in anyway. I want you to come with me because you want to, not because you feel you owe me for anything.”

“I do want to go with you, Bruce,” she confessed. “It’ll be nice to see what your Gotham looks like compared to mine.”

“Well, you need to get out a little bit,” he told her with a disapproving frown. “You can’t be spending all your time down here in this cave. It’s really depressing.”

Diana chuckled softly, remembering how many times she’d told her Bruce that very same thing. He would just brush her off, telling her that he was fine even though she knew that was the furthest thing from the truth. Now, this Bruce was telling her the very same thing. It was ironic how the tables had turned.

“I’m okay,” she claimed. “I’ve just been busy trying to find a way back to my world.”

“Will you let me contact the Justice Association now?”

“Let me think about it,” she relented. “Perhaps your Cyborg and Mister Terrific could help me figure something out.”

“We’ll never know unless we try.”

“I know, but I want to see what else I can find myself.”

“Fine,” he replied, taking her by the hand as he switched off the computer screens. “You’re coming upstairs now.”

Diana allowed him to pull her up to her feet despite her desire to keep working. She had to admit she was really tired after spending the whole day down here. “What are you doing?” she asked as he led her to the stairs.

“Getting you out of here,” he informed her. “You need some sunlight and fresh air. Go upstairs and put your swimsuit on.”

“Are you ordering an Amazon?” she questioned him as they entered the manor. “You know that can be very dangerous.”

“I like to live dangerously,” he told her with a grin. “I’ll meet you outside in a few minutes.”

They both made their way to their respective bedrooms, changing quickly and meeting downstairs. She found him already sitting in the hot tub waiting for her. “Come on in, princess,” he called to her. “The water is fine.”

Diana knew this wasn’t a good idea, but she got into the hot tub anyway, trying not to notice the way that he was looking at her. He looked at her the exact same way that her Bruce looked at her, making her feel as though she was the most treasured woman in the world.

She sat down across from him much to his dismay, but it gave him the perfect view of her. She tilted her head back as her eyes fell closed, allowing the stress and frustration to seep from her body. As he watched her, he decided that he wanted to take care of her forever if she’d let him.

He swallowed hard, knowing that he was going to have to let her go sooner or later. He couldn’t force her to stay where she didn’t belong despite how perfect and absolutely right that her being here felt to him. It felt as if this was where she was meant to be…here with him.

He couldn’t help wondering if maybe this accident wasn’t truly an accident. Maybe it was fate that had brought them together. Maybe this was where she was meant to be all along. He wanted that to be true more than he had ever wanted anything in his life save for getting his parents back.

“This feels amazing,” she murmured, peering at him through partially opened eyes.

He looked incredibly handsome sitting across from her. The heat of the hot tub warred with the heat of being this close to him partially dressed. It was more than difficult to focus on other things with him sitting right there, his legs stretched out beside her.

“I thought it might help you relax a little,” Bruce replied.

Diana drew her leg up, accidently sliding along the length of Bruce’s. He gasped with the unexpected, but not unwanted contact. “Sorry,” she murmured.

“Don’t be,” he replied with a piercing look that struck like an arrow straight to her heart.

His choice of words was not lost on her, reminding her of a Thanagarian invasion and an Indian restaurant…a kiss that had been too long in coming and far too short. It was one that she had wanted to experience again, but Bruce had been so hesitant to pursue a relationship with her.

She understood his fears and his worries, but at the same time, she was running out patience. She wasn’t going to wait around for him to get past his demons forever. She may be immortal, but he was not and the lives that they led did not lend itself to longevity.

Gazing at the handsome man sitting across from her, Diana began to wonder if this wasn’t the chance that she was meant to have with him…the one that her Bruce had been denying them for the last four and a half years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, life and love can be messy and this fic certainly proves that! :)
> 
> UP NEXT: Bruce and Lord Batman come up with a plan. Meanwhile, Diana goes to a charity event with Bruce only to meet someone she hadn't expected.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**_Batcave (MU)_ **

“Do you really think it’ll work?” Bruce asked, trying to keep his paranoia at bay.

“It should, but what other choice do you really have?” Lord Batman asked. “You want her back and this is about your only hope.”

“Of course, I want her back,” he snapped with overt determination. “There is no other acceptable outcome.”

“I’ll begin searching different universes to see if I can locate her while you work on the transportation machine.”

“I’ll get started on it right away,” Bruce confirmed.

Lord Batman’s expression grew solemn and more than a little pessimistic. “This isn’t going to be easy,” he warned him. “There are hundreds of thousands of universes and those are just the ones that we’ve found so far. There could be at least a million…maybe more. It could be years before we finally find her if we even do.”

“I know,” Bruce said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not giving up.”

He knew this was going to be an arduous undertaking, one that was fraught with so many obstacles and uncertainties. Even if they worked non-stop for the next ten years, there was still no guarantee that they would ever find her. The thought made his heart stutter out of rhythm. 

“You look like hell by the way,” Lord Batman stated with a frown.

“Thanks,” Bruce growled. “I already feel like I’ve been to hell and back.”

“I understand all too well, Bruce,” he responded, his voice surprisingly gentle. “I know what it’s like to lose her. I was granted a second chance with her. I hope you get a second chance as well.”

“Me too,” he agreed with a weary sigh, raking his fingers back through his hair.

“Go get some sleep,” he told him. “You’re going to need it if you’re going to get that transporter built any time soon.”

“I don’t have time to sleep,” he stated. “I have to find Diana.”

“Hey, I’m going up to eat dinner so I can get ready for patrol,” Damian suddenly announced as he came to stand beside Bruce.

“Go,” Bruce told his son. “I’ve got work to do.”

“I know…I know,” Damian said with a roll of his eyes as he walked away. “You have to find Diana. It’s all I’ve heard about for the last week.”

“Who was that?” Lord Batman asked with a curious frown.

“My son…Damian,” Bruce reluctantly revealed. He didn’t want to give away too much of his life to his double, but he was willing to help him find Diana so a little exchange of information could go a long way in continuing to build trust between them.

“Who is his mother?”

“Talia al Ghul,” he stated, studying the man on the screen before him for the least bit of response.

“Interesting,” he thoughtfully replied with a slow nod of his head. “She was not a love interest of mine. Found her to be a little too attached to her father…and not in a good way. Don’t get me wrong. She tried repeatedly, but she was too clinging for my taste.”

“I’ll contact you once I get started,” Bruce told him, not wanting to travel down that path. Talia was his past. Hopefully, Diana would be his future if he could find her.

“I’ll be here,” he confirmed. “I’ll contact you as soon as I find anything. I hope you get her back.”

“Me too,” Bruce said before ending the transmission.

He tilted his head back, staring up into the black abyss of the cave. Diana was alive. The thought alone caused his heart to soar, his lips nearly curling into a slight smile. His hope had been renewed, his resolve in finding her further solidifying in his soul. He didn’t care if it took him years. He was going to find her and bring her home to him.

He growled to himself as the alert sounded on his computer, letting him know he had a visitor entering the secret tunnel of the cave. He knew without looking that it was Clark. He was coming to give him an update on how the Founders’ meeting went that he’d flat out refused to attend. 

He was sure that he was going to ask him what his recommendation would be to take Diana’s place. He was not going to give any recommendations, would not vote on any replacements. Diana didn’t need to be replaced. She needed to be rescued.

There was a subtle shift in the air of the Batcave as Superman exited the tunnel and entered the cave itself, flying up to the platform and landing silently behind Bruce. “Diana is alive,” Bruce stated before Clark could even open his mouth.

“Are you positive?” Clark asked, wanting to believe him, but was still skeptical without hard proof. He couldn’t bear getting his hopes up only to lose her all over again. It had been hard enough as it was without going through it again.

“Yes,” Bruce said without turning around.

“Bruce, this isn’t just your refusal to believe that Diana is dead, is it?”

“No,” he snapped in response. “Diana is alive. She’s been transported to another universe.”

“Okay…where’s your proof?” Clark questioned him, folding his arms across his chest.

“I’ve been working with the Batman from the Justice Lords’ universe,” Bruce revealed, bracing himself for the scathing lecture that would no doubt be coming.

“You what?” Clark nearly yelled. “Bruce, how can you trust him or anything that he’s telling you?”

Bruce was up and out of his seat in a flash, turning on Clark with a fury that had been locked inside of him since the day Diana vanished. “I had to if I was going to find Diana,” he growled with a venomous edge. His eyes were like blue flames of fire, begging the Kryptonian to tell him he was wrong. “Lord Batman’s help has been invaluable. He reviewed all of my research and confirmed that Diana was still alive. She’s in another universe. We just have to find her now.”

Superman still looked skeptical; his lips pursed in disbelief. “So, she’s alive and trapped in a different universe, but you two have no idea which one?”

“Yes,” Bruce confirmed. “Lord Batman is searching each universe for her while I begin building a transportation machine to bring her home.”

“Do you understand how crazy this all sounds?”

“I don’t care how it sounds,” he snapped. “The only thing that matters is finding her and bringing her back here to our universe where she belongs.”

Clark drew a deep breath, considering what Bruce had learned. The more he thought about it the more he realized it really wasn’t that outrageous. The Justice Lords’ Batman had built a machine that allowed them to study other universes, finding their Justice League and transporting them across dimensions. This situation with Diana was really no different.

“What can I do to help?” Clark asked.

“Don’t replace Diana,” he stated.

“How long do you think it’ll take to find her?”

Bruce shook his head, wishing he had better news. “I have no idea,” he conceded. “It could be next week. It could five years from now.”

“Bruce…”

“Don’t, Clark,” he interrupted him, holding a hand up to him to stop him. “I’m not going to give up so don’t even waste your breath trying to persuade me.”

“We really need to think about who can fill Diana’s place with the Founders even if it’s just temporary,” Clark argued. “Gorilla Grodd is no doubt rebuilding his gun and he’s going to use it to again to eliminate the rest of us. We need to be prepared.”

“We can be prepared for Grodd without having to fill Diana’s place as a Founder,” Bruce countered. “We have plenty of members in the Justice League to cover for her until she comes back.”

“You don’t think extending an invitation to Donna might not be a good idea?” he pressed. “I think it would really help to have Donna fill in for Diana until her sister returns. It would be seamless transition.”

“Sure, Clark,” Bruce spat out, turning his back to his friend. “Go ask a grieving Donna if she wants to take her sister’s place in the League?”

“I wouldn’t be that cold about it!” Clark exclaimed with rapidly growing exasperation. “Have you even contacted Donna yet to let her know Diana is alive?”

“I just found out,” he revealed. “I haven’t had a chance yet. You’re the first person I’ve told.”

“We could tell her together,” Clark offered. “You can tell her that Diana is alive, and I’ll offer her the option of filling Diana’s shoes until she returns.”

“The others wouldn’t give you a suggestion to vote on for a replacement, would they?”

“No,” he admitted, averting his eyes. “I’m making an executive decision.”

“Then you can see Donna and tell her when you ask her to take Diana’s place,” Bruce told him, settling into his chair once more. “I’ve got too much work to do. I have to get that transporter built as soon as possible.”

“But you said yourself it could take years for Lord Batman to find which universe Diana is even in.”

“He could also contact me tomorrow and tell me he found her,” Bruce argued. “I have to be ready as quickly as possible.”

“Fine,” Clark relented. “I’ll let you get to work then. Keep me posted on your progress.”

“Are you going to make an announcement about Diana being alive?”

“What do you think I should do?”

“Keep the circle tight,” Bruce told him. “Make sure Donna doesn’t breathe a word of it to anyone. Don’t even tell the Founders.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“No, I’m not,” he stated, turning his chair around to face the Kryptonian. “The fewer people who know the better. If it gets out to the world that Diana is still alive, there’s no telling what Grodd will do. It’s best to keep this close to the vest for the time being. Besides, there’s no sense giving everyone hope when we don’t even know for sure where she is at. Let’s wait until we have a little more information.”

“I don’t like this,” Clark groused, a rare scowl forming on his face.

“I never believed for one moment that you would,” he replied. “It’s for the best for now and you know it even if you won’t admit it.”

“I’ll go along with it for now, but you contact me the second you have more information,” Clark insisted. “I don’t like keeping our friends in the dark. Everyone is really hurting over Diana’s apparent death, Bruce. They deserve to know that she’s alive.”

“They already know that I believe she’s alive…possibly transported to another dimension,” he pointed out. “As far as you know, I just don’t have solid proof yet.”

“I don’t want to lie to anyone.”

“It’s not lying,” Bruce said. “It’s just delaying telling the truth a little.”

“That’s still lying.”

“Fine, ma Kent,” Bruce spat out. “Do what you want. I’ve got work to do.”

Clark drew a deep breath, releasing it slowly through his nose. “Let me know what you find.”

Bruce didn’t respond, waiting until Clark had flown away before finally scrubbing his face with his hands. He was exhausted, but the thought of getting Diana back spurred him on and renewed his spirit. He could hardly wait to see her…to take her into his arms and kiss her like she’s never been kissed before.

He would do whatever it took to make her his, giving her everything that he had in order to prove to her that he genuinely loved her. He had come too close to losing her forever this time…closer than he had ever come before. He wouldn’t take that chance ever again. She meant too much to him.

He loved her and he was going to make sure she knew it the moment he got her back. He was prepared to make a life with her and build a future for the two of them. He just hoped that she shared that same love and desire with him.

**_Wayne Manor (AU)_ **

Bruce adjusted his cufflink before smoothing his hair with his hand. He couldn’t keep the flicker of nerves at bay that had erupted in his stomach. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. He’d known Diana for three months now, but he felt as though he’d known her his whole life.

They had formed a quick bond almost from the moment she had awoken, only growing stronger with every passing day. He was more than relieved that she had agreed to attend the event tonight with him. It was one that had always held a special place in his mother’s heart and therefore his own. Attending it with Diana on his arm only seemed to make it that much more extraordinary.

He inhaled deeply as he glanced up at the staircase, catching a glimpse of shimmering blue as it descended. His breath caught in his throat as he watched Diana coming down the stairs. She looked amazing, her raven hair pulled up into a twist and his mother’s diamond necklace around her throat.

He had laid it out especially for her to wear if she decided to. The fact that she was wearing it meant more to him he could begin to express. He was completely entranced by the vision that came to stand before him, subconsciously reaching out to take her hand in his.

“You look so beautiful,” he softly murmured.

“Thank you,” she replied with a faint blush, reaching out and adjusting his bowtie. “You look very handsome yourself.”

The smile he gave her was near blinding, taking her aback a bit. She wasn’t accustomed to seeing that enormous of a smile on Bruce’s handsome face. She readily decided that she loved seeing it there. Someday, she hoped to see it on her Bruce’s face if she found a way back home.

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to be out in public?” Diana asked as he led her to the front door and the limo waiting for them outside. “People are going to ask questions and I don’t want to cause you any trouble.”

“Diana, you are no trouble at all,” he reassured her as he helped her into the back of the limo. “You have been nothing but a pleasant distraction from my mundane life.”

“Bruce, your life isn’t mundane,” she corrected him. “I love all of your inventions and the things that you’re doing at Wayne Enterprises is exciting. I think adding Victor Stone to head up your Research and Development department is a great move.”

“Well, you did say that he was a genius in your dimension,” he reminded her. “I’m hoping it carries over to this one.”

“You did say that he was more than qualified for the job,” she pointed out.

“He definitely is,” he confirmed, wanting to return to the previous topic. “Diana, I want you to get out into Gotham. It’s not good to be cooped up inside the manor all the time. There’s no telling how long you’re going to be here in this world. We need to get you established in Gotham to some extent.”

“I know…you’re right,” she reluctantly agreed, turning to look out the passenger window as she thought of home. She deeply missed Bruce and her friends…her mother and sisters on Themyscira. They were never far from her thoughts, especially a certain dark hero who had a penchant for wearing black.

Bruce reached over to cover her hand with his. “I know this has to be difficult for you,” he gently told her. “I’m sure you miss everyone especially your mother and sister.”

“I do,” she confessed, turning to meet his worried gaze. “You and Alfred and Dick have all been so wonderful. I really don’t know how to thank you.”

“You don’t have to,” he reassured her. “We’ve all loved having you here with us. I just wish that there were something I could do to help you find a way back home.”

“I know,” she replied with a smile. “Hopefully, Doctor Hamilton will have something that will help. In the meantime, let’s just focus on having so fun tonight.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” he said with a grin.

The limo pulled up in front of the ballroom, Alfred exiting and opening the back door for them. Bruce exited first, offering his date a hand which she readily took. Exiting the limo, they made their way up the steps and through the doors, avoiding a couple of reporters who had camped out there despite the fact they weren’t supposed to be there.

“Come,” Bruce said, taking her hand. “There are a couple of people I’d like for you to meet.”

Tightening her hold on Bruce’s hand, Diana couldn’t deny the face she felt somewhat out of place here. Whoever she met here may not be anything like the people that she knew in her universe, Wally West not necessarily the Flash here. She was going to have to be extra careful about not revealing any secret identities.

Her biggest fear, however, remained raising any suspicions about herself that would draw unwanted attention to Bruce, Dick, and Alfred. She didn’t want to create a whirlwind of interest around a dimension-travelling Amazon who had appeared here out of nowhere.

She had no idea who she could trust and who she couldn’t beside Bruce, Dick, and Alfred. She was leery about the criminals here who might want to know what she knew or want information about how she got here. She didn’t have her gifts in this universe. While not incapable of defending herself, she didn’t want to put her friends in danger.

“Oliver! Dinah!” Bruce called as they walked towards a couple that looked identical to the couple Diana knew. 

They were Green Arrow and Black Canary in her world, but who were they here?

“Bruce!” Oliver responded with a grin, raising his glass of champagne. “Come join us.”

“It’s good to see you out again,” Dinah said, hugging their friend. “We’ve been worried about you.”

“I’m sorry to have worried you,” Bruce replied, kissing her cheek. “I’ve been busy recently.”

“I can see that,” Oliver teased, looking at Diana. “Who have you found here?”

“This is Diana,” Bruce introduced. “She’s a…friend.”

“A friend…right,” Oliver said with a cheeky smile. “I’m Oliver Queen. This is my fiancé Dinah Lance.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Diana replied, shaking both their hands.

“Are you from around here?” Dinah asked.

Bruce quickly swooped in, rescuing her from the onslaught of questions that would no doubt be coming. “She’s here from Greece,” he told them. “She’s staying with me at the manor for the time being until she can get adjusted and settled into a place of her own.”

Diana cast a sidelong glance at Bruce, wishing now that they had worked out some sort of cover story that they both knew the details about before arriving here tonight. She wanted to make sure that they were on the same page during her stay here.

“Are you enjoying Gotham so far?” Dinah questioned her.

“Very much so,” Diana told her.

“Have you two finally set a wedding date yet?” Bruce asked, wanting to change the subject and get the focus off Diana.

“Ask him,” Dinah said with a roll of her eyes, tilting her head towards Oliver.

Bruce frowned at his friend. “Are you dragging your feet, Ollie?”

“No, not all,” Oliver insisted. “I just think we should have a spring wedding and Dinah wants a late summer wedding.”

“What’s the difference?” Bruce questioned them. “They’re close enough that it really doesn’t matter does it?”

“I think autumn is a beautiful time for a wedding,” Diana commented. “It’s not too hot and the changing leaves is a perfect backdrop.”

“She’s right,” Dinah thoughtfully decided. “I think autumn would be the perfect time.”

“I can’t argue with that,” Oliver said with a grin. “Let’s get married in October of next year.”

“I love it,” she softly said, leaning in and kissing him deeply.

“Okay, don’t get all mushy in front of us,” Bruce interrupted them, glancing at Diana.

“Come,” Dinah said, looping her arm through Diana’s “Let’s go get you a drink. Then, you can tell me all about what’s going on with you and Bruce.”

Bruce turned to follow in an attempt to save Diana, but Oliver was already moving to intercept him. “Okay, spill it, Bruce,” Oliver said. “Who is she and are you in love with her?”

“Hey, what’s up with the third degree?” Bruce asked.

“Because I’ve not seen you smile in months…not since before Talia left you with fragments of your heart in your hand,” he reminded him.

“She’s just a friend,” Bruce insisted. “Nothing more is going on between us. I’m just helping her get settled in town.”

“Okay, that last part I buy, the first part about just being friends I don’t,” Oliver told him. “You are clearly in love with her.”

Bruce looked to where Diana stood talking to Dinah in front of the bar, his eyes revealing far more than he’d like. “I am in love, but I don’t think it’ll work out,” he softly confessed, an overwhelming sense of sadness washing over him.

“Doesn’t she feel the same way about you?”

“I…I’m not sure,” he responded. “I think her heart belongs to someone else, but she hasn’t come out and admitted as much.”

“Then, go after her, my friend,” Oliver encouraged him. “It’s obvious she makes you happy. Don’t let her get away.”

“I’d love for her to stay with me, but she wants to return to the man that she loves,” he cryptically replied.

“Change her mind…make her want to stay,” he told him. “You are a great guy, Bruce. You deserve to be happy and to find true love. This could be the one.”

“I think she is the one, but—”

Oliver put his hand on Bruce’s shoulder, squeezing it. “No, no but,” he insisted. “It’s time for you to go after what you want. Don’t let her slip through your fingers.”

Diana looked over at that moment, the smile she gave him nearly buckled his knees. He smiled in response, trying not to notice the way his heart seemed to stutter with the way she looked at him. He wanted more than anything to believe that Diana had feelings for him, but he knew those feelings were meant for the man who looked identical to him.

His twin was a remarkably lucky man to have the love of this woman. At the same time, he was incredibly stupid for not falling on his knees and asking her to marry him. The reasons why Bruce had not done so remained a complete mystery to him. It was an enigma that he’d never unravel.

Diana and Dinah made their way back to their dates, holding a glass of champagne in each hand. Diana handed Bruce a flute before taking a sip of her drink. “I hope Dinah didn’t harass you too much,” Bruce said to her.

Diana smiled as she glanced at Dinah. “Not at all,” she reassured him. “Just a little girl talk.”

“That’s what worries me,” he replied.

“I think it’s time you danced with me, Mister Queen,” Dinah informed him, taking their glasses and setting them on a nearby table.

“How can I turn down a beautiful proposition?” he flirted, taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor.

Bruce looked down at his polished shoes, a subtle sense of apprehension and uncertainty rising within him. He wanted to dance with Diana but felt a little awkward about asking. She’d already agreed to come with him as his date. He didn’t want to force her into doing more than she was comfortable with.

“Are you going to ask me to dance too?” she asked.

He looked up sharply, her words taking him by surprise. “Would you like to dance with me?”

“I’d love to,” she agreed, taking their glasses and setting them down with Oliver and Dinah’s.

Bruce reached out and took her hand in his, leading her to the dance floor. He couldn’t deny the nervous flutter that had suddenly returned with a vengeance as he pulled her into his arms. She gave him a gentle smile as her hand came to rest on his shoulder, the fingers of her other hand lacing with his.

He felt himself begin to lose himself in her cobalt blue eyes that sparkled in the lights of the ballroom. He knew he shouldn’t…knew it was only going to lead to a broken heart, but he was falling hopelessly in love with her. How could he not? She was the most amazing woman that he’d ever met—beautiful beyond imagine, full of warmth and charm, incredibly intelligent and compassionate. 

She was everything that he’d ever wanted in a woman, a companion and a wife. After Talia had left him, he’d pretty much given up hope of ever finding someone to share his life with. He had thought Talia was his soulmate, but now he knew better. What he had believed was love had been nothing but a delusion.

True love was here in his arms, gazing at him with what he felt and hoped was true affection in her eyes. He wanted it to be more than just a friendly affection. He wanted it to be so much more than that. He wanted her to share the same feelings that he held for her.

How could he hope for such a thing when he knew in his heart that she loved his twin back in her own universe? She had never come right out and confessed her love for Bruce Wayne who was the Batman in her world, but he could see it in the way that she spoke about him and the way her eyes lit up. It was impossible not to recognize it.

Was it possible for her to love both of them?

He quickly pushed that thought from his mind as he twirled her, melodic laughter spilling from her red lips as he pulled her back into his embrace. He couldn’t help reacting to her infectious laughter as her hand came to rest against his chest, chuckling along with her.

Bruce glanced over her shoulder, noticing the way that Oliver and Dinah were watching them. The smirk on Oliver’s face told him that he was certain that Bruce was love in Diana. He tried and failed to deny it to his friend, but he couldn’t deny it to himself.

Despite the pain that he knew would eventually befall him if she ever returned to her world, he couldn’t help wanting to try to make a life with her even if it was for a short time. He selfishly wanted whatever time he could possibly have with her no matter how long it lasted, wanted that time as far more than just friends.

He instinctively pulled her closer to him, closer than he should. She came willingly causing his heart to beat harder. Her cheek brushed against his, an almost imperceptible sigh escaping and filling his ear. He dipped his head slightly rubbing his cheek against hers. 

He never wanted this moment to end. It felt so right…so perfect. It was as if she had been brought to this world specifically for him. He wanted to believe that to be true. He wanted to believe that she could love him as much as she loved her Bruce back home.

Diana gasped as she abruptly pulled back causing Bruce to pull back enough as well to find out what was wrong. “What is it?”

“It’s Vandal Savage,” she murmured, clearly taken aback by his appearance.

Bruce looked to the right to find Vandal Savage shaking hands with the Claytons who had been close friends of his parents. “Yes, that’s Vandal Savage,” he confirmed. “What’s wrong with him?”

“What’s not wrong with him?” she icily stated.

“What’s he like in your world?”

“He’s a criminal mastermind,” she spat out. “He’s a monter.”

“He’s not like that all,” Bruce replied with a frown, stunned by her revelation. “He’s a well-loved and highly respected man. In fact, he’s the mayor of Metropolis.”

“Mayor?” she repeated. “Are you sure he’s sincere? No skeletons in his closet?”

“No, not at all,” he confirmed. “There was this reporter…Clark Kent…who tried to look for any secrets that Vandal was hiding, any vices or problems. None could be found.”

“I find that hard to believe,” she murmured more to herself than Bruce.

“He’s a really good friend of mine, Diana,” he told her, his tone revealing his annoyance.

Diana looked back at Bruce, regretting her words. “I’m sorry, Bruce,” she apologized. “I know things in your universe aren’t the same as they are in mine. It’s just difficult to believe after all the pain and chaos that he’s caused that there could be a version of him somewhere else that wasn’t like that.”

“It’s all right,” he replied, shaking his head. “I shouldn’t be so defensive. I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you to see people you know, but they aren’t the same.”

“It’s a little disconcerting at times, but you’ve become my anchor,” she confessed. “You help keep me grounded.”

The corner of his lips curled with her compliment. “I do my best, but I admit that it’s hard at times to remember that this world is not your own. It just feels so right having you here…like it was always meant to be like this.”

Diana gazed into his piercing azure eyes, feeling the same way at times. It was something that she struggled with constantly, wanting to give into the feeling growing inside of her and yet knowing how unfair it would be to the Bruce holding her in his arms.

At the same time, she loved her Batman, but he didn’t seem inclined to allow her a place in his life. Could this be the opportunity that she’d been longing for? She just felt so confused by it all, having feelings for two Bruce’s. One was a universe away and one was right here before her, looking at her with love in his eyes.

“Bruce!”

Their dance forgotten, they both turned to find Vandal Savage coming towards them. Diana had to remind herself to be polite to this version of the villain who had tried to destroy her friend. This was not that the Vandal Savage who had attacked Audrey. She had to give him the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise.

“Vandal, it’s good to see you,” Bruce greeted him with a handshake.

“How have you been?” he asked.

“I’ve been doing well…thanks,” he confirmed. “I’d like you to meet my friend. This is Diana.”

“It’s pleasure,” Vandal said as he took her hand, kissing the back of it.

Diana did her best not to recoil in disgust, smiling pleasantly at the man. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Where have you been hiding this beauty?” Vandal asked.

“She’s a friend of mine from Greece,” he explained. “She recently relocated to Gotham. I’m helping her get situated. She’s staying with me at the manor in the meantime.”

“I know Bruce will take good care of you,” Vandal told her. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to chat with Oliver. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

The couple watched as he walked away, Bruce’s hand coming to rest against her back. “See, I told you he wasn’t like your Vandal.”

“I hope you’re right,” she softly said, her eyes following the doppelgänger of the madman she knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hmmm...things are starting to heat up. Will Diana make a good choice?
> 
> UP NEXT: Diana, Clark, and both Bruce's are struggling for a multitude of reasons. Will things work out for all involved? (Answer: not likely...at least not yet) :)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**_Wayne Manor (AU)_ **

Bruce and Diana sat beside each other in the back of the limo, close enough to one another to touch and yet miles apart for each other. Each was wrestling with their own thoughts and the feelings that couldn’t be denied no matter how hard they tried to pretend they weren’t there. It was obvious there was something there between them, a growing spark, but should they allow themselves the luxury of exploring and indulging in it?

The evening had gone incredibly well, better than either had imagined that it could. Bruce had been apprehensive because of his feelings for her, Diana because she was so afraid of hurting him and bringing unwanted attention into his life.

The evening had only confirmed what Bruce had been feeling since he’d met her, creating more confusion for Diana who struggled with feelings for two men that were so alike and yet so different. Her desire to return home was still as strong as the day she had found herself in this new world, his desire for her to stay just as strong as the day he’d seen her walking down that road.

The limo pulled up into the circular drive of Wayne Manor, the engine turning off. It wasn’t until Alfred opened the back door that either of them realized that they were actually home. Bruce exited first, turning to offer his hand to Diana which she readily accepted.

Her hand slid easily into his as she got out behind him, offering him a gentle smile that he returned. He forced himself to release her hand, reminding himself for the thousandth time that she was not his. Instead, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his tux pants, walking silently up the walk and up the steps to the front of the manor.

Opening the door, he stepped aside and allowed her to enter first, receiving a murmured word of gratitude…the first that she’d spoken since they had left the ballroom. He couldn’t help wondering what it was she was thinking about. Was she thinking of her home…her Bruce…or could she actually be thinking about him?

The thought caused a knot of excitement to roil inside of him. He silently cursed himself for constantly thinking about her like this. He needed to regain some semblance of control over his emotions and his mind. He was acting a like a teenager hoping his crush returned his feelings.

This incredible woman was not going to be here with him forever. She had a home of her own, a world where she truly belonged. She had friends and a family, a Justice League that needed her and a Bruce Wayne who probably missed her. That was her home, not here with him. The thought was like a dagger to his gut.

They made their way up the winding staircase, neither speaking a word until coming to a stop before her bedroom. “Thank you for a wonderful evening,” she told him. “It was nice to get out and just be a regular person.”

“I’m glad you came with me,” he replied. “I need to get you out of the house more often.”

The corners of her lips curled in response. “I guess so,” she agreed, reaching up to unclasp the diamond necklace that graced her neck. “Thank you for lending me the necklace.”

Removing it, she tried to hand it back to Bruce. “No, I want you to keep it,” he told her, reaching out to curl her fingers around the necklace.

“Bruce, this is far too much,” she said, shaking her head. “Didn’t this belong to your mother?”

“Yes, it did, but I want you to have it now,” he insisted. “Please, Diana, it would mean a lot to me if you kept it.”

“I…I don’t know what to say,” she softly replied, looking down at his hand still wrapped around hers and creating a sense of warmth inside of her that was steadily growing stronger. “It’s very sweet of you. Thank you just doesn’t seem like enough.”

“You’ve come to mean a lot to me since the day I found you, Diana,” he found himself confessing. “You gave me hope and happiness again when I needed it the most. I’ll be eternally grateful to you for that.”

“But I didn’t do any—” 

Bruce abruptly silenced her with his mouth, his hand moving up to cup her cheek. He felt her melt against him, pleasure searing like fire through his veins as she returned his desire with a heat all her own. He tilted his head, savoring the moment and the taste of her as her hand came to rest on the back of his neck. The reality of kissing her was far better than anything he could ever begin to create in the dark hours of his bedroom.

She abruptly pulled away after several long moments, gazing at him with confusion in her eyes. Without a word, she suddenly turned away from him, entering her bedroom and closing the door behind her. Bruce’s heart sank as the palm of his hand came to rest against the door with a bittersweet mixture of excitement and frustration.

He wanted to go inside and explain everything to her, to make her see that he didn’t mean to hurt her by kissing her. He just couldn’t go another moment without finally kissing her and now he might have just ruined the best thing that he’d ever found in his whole life.

His chin dropped as he stood there a few moments longer. He’d pushed her too far too fast. He should have told her how he felt instead of just acting on it like that. At the same time, he couldn’t help remembering how she had responded to his kiss, the feel of her lips so soft and warm against his as she returned his feelings.

Maybe she did feel something for him more than just friendship?

Drawing a deep breath, Bruce’s hand fell from the door before turning to make his way to his bedroom. He knew he just needed to give her a little time, give her a chance to sort out her feelings. Hopefully, things would be all right in the morning.

**_Metropolis (MU)_ **

Lois Lane rolled over expecting to snuggle up against Clark only to find cool sheets where he should have been laying. Frowning, she opened her eyes as she sat up to look about the bedroom, finding him nowhere in sight. His uniform was slung over the back of a chair, his clothes still on the floor where he’d left them.

Throwing the covers off, she climbed out of bed, exiting the bedroom to find Clark standing before the window of the apartment they shared. Dressed in nothing but his boxers, his muscular arms were crossed over his equally muscular chest as he just gazed out into the darkness staring at nothing.

A wave of sadness blanketed her as she watched him, knowing how deeply he was struggling to come to terms with Diana’s death. The whole world struggled with it, but none mourned her loss more than Clark had… except for maybe Bruce.

She knew the other Founders were grappling with the Amazon’s death, but Bruce seemed to be taking it exceptionally hard. Despite the evidence, he refused to accept that Diana was gone, never to return to them again. He was spending night and day trying to find her. She doubted he would ever truly accept it.

Death was not something that Bruce dealt well with, the death of someone especially close to him even less so. She’d considered going to see Bruce, to try to talk to him to see if she could help him, but she knew that he needed a little time right now to try to work through it all himself.

Lois silently made her way to Clark, her hand coming to rest against his back. “Are you all right?” she softly asked.

Clark appeared startled by her appearance, too absorbed in his thoughts to realize that she was there until she’d actually spoken to him. “What? Oh, yah…I’m all right,” he muttered, turning back to look out the window.

“Clark, you’re not okay,” she pressed. “I know Diana’s death has been hard on you. Do you need to talk about it?”

“No, I don’t want to talk about it,” he told her.

“You’ve been quiet all evening,” Lois pointed out. “You’ve barely spoken at all since you came home from seeing Bruce. Did something happen?”

Clark exhaled a breath, his arms falling to his sides. “Yes, something did happen, but I don’t know what to do about it.”

Lois took him by the hand, leading him to the couch. “Come talk to me,” she suggested. “Maybe I can help you.”

Clark sat down on the couch, Lois curling up against his side. “I went to see Bruce to let him know that we needed to find someone to take Diana’s place with the Founders. As expected, the meeting didn’t go well at all. Everyone pretty much fell apart starting with Wally and then Shayera. No one would make any suggestions.”

“Well, I guess it’s not really unexpected,” Lois replied. “It’s only been a week since Diana was killed.”

“I know, but we have to make sure we’re at full strength,” he explained. “Grodd is out there building another weapon in order to destroy the League. It could be bigger and better than the last one. I can’t let another member die.”

“I agree,” she patiently said.

“Bruce didn’t want to hear it, though,” he continued. “He refused to even discuss it.”

“He still believes Diana is alive.”

“Yes, and now he thinks he has proof that she is alive.”

Lois sat up in shock, staring at him in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

Clark nodded his head. “He’s been working with the Justice Lords’ Batman,” he told her. “They’ve been reviewing all the information that Bruce has gathered so far. They both feel that Diana wasn’t killed but transported to another dimension…another universe.”

“I can’t believe it,” Lois murmured, relieved by the news and yet the news raised so many more questions in her mind.

“I know,” he replied. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. I want to believe it’s true because I want Diana back. I miss her so much. At the same time, I don’t want to get my hopes up. I can’t go through this again, believing she’s coming back only to find out she really is dead.”

“I believe Bruce,” she told him.

Clark looked up sharply, stunned by her response. “You do?”

“Clark, there is one thing that I have learned in the time that I have known him and that is to never bet against Bruce Wayne,” she said. “If there is one person that could find proof Diana is alive and bring her back, it would definitely be him.”

Clark stared at her for moment, realizing she was right. “You’re right,” he agreed with a reluctant nod. “I guess I’m just too afraid of losing her all over again. I don’t want to go through that, Lo. She was…is…like my sister.”

“I know,” she softly said. “I miss her too, but we can’t give up hope that Bruce can find her and bring her home.”

“That’s the bad news,” he reluctantly explained. “Bruce and Lord Batman have no idea what universe she’s been transported to. It could take years to find her. In the meantime, Bruce is building a transporter to get her back as soon as they do locate her.”

“Wow,” she softly murmured. “I didn’t think it was possible, but this just goes from bad to worse.”

“Oh, there’s more,” he continued with a snort. “Bruce doesn’t want me to tell anyone but Donna that Diana is alive.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because it could take years for him to find her,” he revealed as he leaned forward, his elbows coming to rest on his knees. “He doesn’t want to get everyone’s hopes up if he can’t find her.”

“I can see that,” she agreed much to Clark’s surprise. “Wally would be bugging him day and night wanting to know if he’d found her yet. Bruce would become homicidal if everyone were constantly harassing him all the time, wanting to know what was going on and what was taking so long. You would never find Wally’s body again.”

“Yah, I never thought of that.”

Lois leaned forward, her hand rubbing his back. “You’re having trouble keeping this information from everyone, aren’t you?”

Clark glanced at her with a frown. “How do you know me so well?”

“Well, I am an award-winning investigative reporter,” she pointed out. “It’s my job to know everything especially about the man that I love.”

“It’s like I’m lying to everyone,” he explained. “The Watchtower is like a morgue, Lois. No one smiles…there’s no laughter anymore. It’s as if the light has gone out in the world. Wally’s a mess. I don’t know how he’s going to recover from this. How am I going to be able to look him in the eye next time I see him knowing I can take away his sorrow and give him some hope?”

“You’re such a good man,” Lois said, leaning in and kissing his cheek. “That’s why I love you so much. You’re so honest and pure of heart.”

“A lot of good it does me now,” he muttered with a huff of disdain as he got to his feet and began pacing. “How am I going to handle the guilt of keeping such a secret from the people I care about and call my friends?”

“If Bruce thinks it’s best not to reveal the news yet, then I think we should follow his wishes,” Lois replied.

Clark’s shoulders sank, knowing deep down that she was right. “I know, but it just…it doesn’t feel right.”

“With any luck, maybe Bruce will find Diana next week and bring her home,” she tried to comfort him.

“That would be amazing,” he agreed with a ragged sigh, rubbing his face with his hands.

Lois rose from the couch, walking to her lover and taking his hand in hers. “Come, let’s go back to bed,” she suggested, trying to stifle a yawn.

Clark gently pulled her back to him, enveloping her in his arms and burying his face in her hair. “Thank you, Lo,” he murmured. “I love you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I love you too, Smallville,” she replied. “Please, promise me that you’ll be extra careful. I can’t lose you.”

“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” he lightly teased, knowing all too well that the threat was very real.

Lois pulled back, taking his face in her hands. “I’m serious, Clark Kent,” she stated. “You had better not be next. I don’t want to wait twenty years for Bruce to find you too.”

“I promise,” he reassured her, kissing her soundly before scooping her up into his arms and carrying her back to their bed.

**_Gotham (MU)_ **

Batman slipped through the skylight as silent and deadly as a phantom, dropping soundlessly to the floor below. His cape draped around him like a cloak as he stood to his full, imposing height. His night vision lenses created a green glow on the warehouse he’d tracked his prey to.

He immediately pulled out a Batarang as he stealthily made his way through the abandoned building. He knew he was in here. It was just a matter of where. He didn’t care if he was walking into a trap. He didn’t seem to care about much of anything since Diana disappeared. Getting her back was the only thing that seemed to matter to him.

He knew his sons were worried about him. Dick had already cornered him yesterday, telling him that he was taking unnecessary risks. He knew that Tim and Damian had been talking to Dick, conveying their worries, but he blew them off. Their worry was ill-placed and unwarranted. He could handle himself.

He froze as a bright flood light was suddenly flipped on, illuminating the room around him. The sound of an all too familiar cackle pierced the air, but Batman didn’t make any moves. This was all just a game to him, one that he wasn’t about to participate in.

“Batsy! So good of you to come looking for me,” Joker said, his voice coming over the loudspeakers. “I must say that I’m happy to see you alive and in one piece. Too bad we can’t say the same for poor Wonder Babe, huh?”

Batman’s gut churned with the mention of Diana. He should’ve known that Joker would bring it up. “Come out, Joker,” he growled. “Face me!”

“No so fast,” Joker laughed with glee. “Always so impetuous. I haven’t had my fun yet.”

“I’m not playing your games.”

“Boo-hoo,” Joker mocked. “Still mourning the loss of your teammate, I see. Must be why you’re so grumpy lately.”

Batman began to stalk straight ahead, refusing to respond to his coercing. He was trying to get under his skin, and he wasn’t about to let him do that. He needed to get Joker back in Arkham so he could return home to work on the transporter.

“That’s far enough,” Joker said, another spotlight coming on. “You’re going to ruin my surprise.”

“I don’t have time for this,” Batman angrily roared, throwing a Batarang at one of the spotlights and shrouding himself in darkness once more.

“Hey! You can’t do that!” Joker screeched. “You’re messing up my game!”

Batman took off in a dead run, racing to the end of the expansive room as several of Joker’s men gave chase. The Caped Crusader spun around, throwing an array of Batbombs that immediately released a thick white cloud that concealed his location.

Leaping up onto a stack of crates, he quickly looked around, spotting the main control room on the second floor. He fired his grappling gun, allowing it to carry him up to the second-floor catwalk. He pulled another Batarang as he ran towards the main control room.

He could hear Joker yelling orders from inside the room just before Batman crashed through the frosted window. Joker pulled a gun as he began to back away from the Dark Knight. “Stay back, Batsy,” he warned. “You don’t want to end up like Wonder Babe.”

Batman stalked straight towards him, Joker opening fire only for his gun to release a red “bang” flag. “Whoops! Wrong gun!” Joker said with a cackle.

Joker didn’t have time to find the right one as Batman’s fist connected with his jaw. He flew backwards against the wall behind him, blood beginning to pour from his nose. “Now why would you want to go and do a thing like that?” the psychotic clown demanded to know as he covered his nose with both hands. “Was it something I said? Was the mention of Wonder Babe?”

Batman’s jaw snapped tight like a steel trap as he grabbed Joker by the front of his purple suit and slammed him back against the wall. “Don’t talk about her,” he ground out.

“Ah, hit a nerve, did I?” he pressed. “Poor Batsy lost his Wonder Babe. I’m just glad it wasn’t you who bit the big one. It would’ve ended our little rivalry. Besides, I want to be the one who eventually ends you.”

“Stop talking!” Batman hissed, baring his teeth at the clown as he seethed with unbridled rage.

“Wonder Babe, Wonder Babe, Wonder Babe,” Joker prattled on unaware. “Too bad you’re dead. I could’ve had you in my bed. Wonder Babe, Wonder Babe, Wonder Babe. Oh, the fun we could’ve had.”

Batman fist slammed into Joker’s face again, knocking a couple of teeth loose. “I said stop talking!” he roared, his fist cocked and ready to deliver another bone-shattering blow.

“Batman! Stop!”

The sound of Nightwing’s voice managed to cut through a measure of the rage induced fog that had gripped his mind. He turned his head slightly, his arm remaining prepared to strike. “Leave!” he bellowed. “This doesn’t concern you.”

“Let go of him,” Nightwing calmly ordered him. “I’ll take him back to Arkham.”

Batman stayed frozen in that position, one hand tightly around Joker’s throat while the other was clenched and ready to do more damage. Joker just cackled as blood splattered on his face and Batman’s cowl. The Dark Knight finally released his hold on him, allowing the clown to slide down the wall to the floor.

“Poor…Batsy,” Joker continued on between coughing fits, his sadistic cackle filling their ears. “Lost his Wonder Lovin’ and now he’s all alone again. Maybe you should stick to cats. They have nine lives. I heard she was purrrrfect for you unlike Wonder Boobs who is nothing but ashes now.”

Batman attempted to lunge at him only for Nightwing to wrap his arms around him from behind to hold him back and keep him from killing the clown. “Stop it,” Nightwing said low in his ear so Joker couldn’t hear. “He’s not worth it. Saving Diana is more important.”

Drawing a couple of deep breaths, Batman finally relaxed somewhat, jerking free from Nightwing’s hold on him. He turned on his heel and stalked out of the room, leaving Nightwing to handle Joker. He needed to return to the cave…get some control over his emotions.

He’d lost control in front of Joker. That was something that he could not allow to happen again. He would have to work harder at not allowing his emotions get a hold of him like that. It had been reckless and foolish on his part; a rookie mistake he never should’ve made.

How many times had he drilled into the heads of his partners to never allow their emotions to cloud their judgement? 

He wiped Joker’s bloody spittle off his cowl as he leapt into his Batmobile, speeding off into the night. He was exhausted. He knew that was part of the reason why he’d lost control with Joker. The bigger reason was that he missed Diana so much it hurt to breathe sometimes.

Racing through the night, he let his mind wander to the day before Diana disappeared. They had been eating lunch in the Watchtower commissary, bantering back and forth like they always did about something completely insignificant.

Those were the times he loved most with her…the times when they bantered, arguing but not really arguing. Just trying to push each other’s buttons a little without inciting anger. It was an extremely dangerous, almost deadly line to tiptoe when it came to her, but he found he was the only one who could do it and not get his face bashed in.

Bruce couldn’t help but laugh, remembering how her sapphire eyes had flared with indignation when he had told her she could’ve done better during their sparring session that morning. He swore her nostrils had flared, her grip tightening on her fork to the point of mangling it.

He had to give her credit. She had managed to stay calm long enough to ask him what he had meant. He had jumped headlong into a lecture on the moves of Muay Thai and how using your limbs was a highly effective and efficient way to fend off an attack without exerting too much energy.

She had listened to him, allowing him to speak without interruption before delving into the ways of the Amazons and how effective they were when it came to a fight. It had been a long running argument of theirs that he liked to return to every now and then just to get her riled up.

He loved to see the way her blue eyes flamed with irritation, her fiery spirit rising to the forefront. She was an extremely passionate person…a fierce passion that he was certain carried over to the bedroom. He was aching to find out, experiencing it firsthand. Unfortunately, he thought he would have more time.

Now she was lost to him…alive, but not here where she should be, leaving him with a broken heart that only she could help heal.

Parking the Batmobile, Bruce leapt out of his car, yanking his cowl and gauntlets off and tossing them aside to clean later. He needed to get cleaned up and file his reports from patrol so he could get back to work on the transporter. He’d barely gotten it started when Joker had escaped from Arkham again, forcing him to drop everything to round up the Clown Prince of Gotham.

Stripping off his uniform, Bruce got into the shower, washing the grime from his beloved city off his body as thoughts of Diana continued to invade his mind and torture his heart. The confirmation that she was alive was the only thing keeping him going at this point, exhaustion beginning to make it difficult to move or think straight sometimes.

He knew he should get some sleep, but he was afraid to. What if Lord Batman contacted him tomorrow and told him that he’d found Diana and that she needed his help? There would be absolutely nothing he could do to help her or to get her out of that situation and back to this universe. It was that fear that drove him, keeping him going when all he wanted was to lay down to sleep.

Stepping out of the shower, he began to dry off, tossing his towel aside before slipping on a pair of sport shorts and a t-shirt. He had no doubt that Dick would be making an appearance tonight in order to lecture him on his lack of control with the Joker.

He didn’t have time for it, though. He had too much work to do.

Bruce made his way to his work area, silently thanking Alfred for the large thermos of coffee that he found waiting for him. He immediately grabbed it, unscrewing the cap and guzzling the hot beverage. The coffee scorched his throat, but it made him feel more awake…more alive…more alive than he’d felt since the day he’d lost Diana.

He visibly shuddered as the image of Diana taking the full brunt of Grodd’s weapon invaded his mind. Like the true warrior that she was, she had stood there with arms crossed and bracers ready to deflect the powerful blast from the gun only to vanish right before their eyes when the blinding flash of light had finally faded.

He swore his heart had stopped beating in that moment as he had raced towards the spot where she had just been, finding nothing but her lasso lying on the ground. He had been completely oblivious to all that had gone on around him after that, the battle still raging as he had knelt down to pick up her lasso.

He wished he would’ve been more aware…would’ve seen Superman using his heat vision to destroy Grodd’s gun. He would’ve stopped him. He needed that weapon so he could study it and learn from it. It could end up being the key to finding Diana.

Now, they were going to have to wait until Grodd struck again.

“Bruce, we need to talk,” Dick said as he approached still in his Nightwing costume.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Bruce icily stated as he set the thermos down before turning his attention to his newest project.

“Tim, Damian, and I think that there is,” Dick pressed, his voice charged with worry.

Bruce drew a deep breath, releasing it slowly through his nostrils as his eyes fell closed. Dick didn’t deserve the brunt of his fury. At the same time, he was poking his nose in where it didn’t belong. “I know what you’re going to say, and I didn’t cross the line with Joker.”

“You would have if I hadn’t stopped you,” Dick pointed out, leaning against the edge of the workbench as he crossed his arms.

“You don’t know that,” Bruce bit out. “I wouldn’t have killed him.”

“No, but you would’ve put him in a coma,” Dick countered.

“He would still be alive though.”

“Not funny,” Dick ground out. “You know what I mean. You have got to take a break…get some sleep. You look like hell, Bruce.”

“Thanks,” Bruce grunted as he picked up a tool. “If you’re done, you can leave now.”

“Donna told me Diana is alive,” Dick revealed.

Bruce’s eyes fell closed again as he pinched the bridge of his nose. His head was pounding like an anvil. “She wasn’t supposed to tell anyone.”

“She didn’t tell just anyone…she told me,” he reminded him. “I had to pry it out of her. She was a mess…couldn’t quit crying. I thought it was because of Diana’s death, but then she finally told me why. Diana is in another universe and it could take years to find her.”

“That’s about right,” Bruce confirmed, reviewing the schematics Lord Batman had sent him.

“So, when are you planning to tell everyone else...the League…her mother?” Dick demanded to know.

“I wasn’t,” he bluntly stated. “There’s no sense getting everyone’s hope up until I know more. I don’t have enough information right now.”

“Bruce!” Dick exclaimed in exasperation. “I can’t believe you’re going to let everyone go on believing she’s dead when you know she’s not. Wally’s beside himself with grief…Donna was an absolute mess before Superman told her. That’s not to mention the rest of Diana’s friends and her family back on Themyscira.”

“Don’t you think I don’t know that?” Bruce growled, whirling on Dick with wrench in hand. “Don’t think for one moment that it’s not killing me that she’s not here…that the whole world is building memorials in her honor and having services to mourn her death? Don’t you think I want to relieve everyone’s pain including my own? 

“I’d love to more than anything, but what good is it tell everyone she’s alive, but I can’t find her? It could take thirty years before we find her and that’s if we find her at all. This is huge gamble, Dick…one that I have no idea if it’s even going to work. What if we find her, but trying to transport her back ends up killing her? The questions and risks are too numerous to count at this point.”

Dick stared in shock at his father-figure, his blue eyes flashing and his chest heaving with emotion. “I’m sorry, Bruce,” he softly said as shook his head. “I had no idea.”

“Even if Lord Batman does find her, we have no idea what condition she’ll be in or if the transporter I’m building will even work,” he continued. “Everyone is better off believing she’s dead until I know more…until I can actually give them something substantial to pin their hopes on.”

“What can I do to help you?” Dick asked.

“Help Tim and Damian look after Gotham,” he told him.

“I will on one condition,” Dick stated.

“What is that?”

“You get at least six hours of sleep,” he insisted. “You’re not going to be any good to her or anyone else if you keep going like this. You’re going to kill yourself off, Bruce. You are Diana’s best bet to finding a way home. She needs you at your best.”

Bruce rubbed his eyes with a sigh, laying his wrench aside. “You’re right,” he admitted.

“Wait…what? I am?” Dick said, stunned. “You never give in this easily. You really must be exhausted.”

“I have to get her back, Dick,” he found himself confessing. “I don’t want to live in a world that she’s not a part of.”

Dick stared at him for a long moment. “You really are in love with her, aren’t you?”

Bruce didn’t say a word, unable to respond as Dick closed the distance between them. He knew the answer without receiving confirmation from him. “We’ll get her back,” Dick reassured him, his hand coming to rest on his shoulder. “And then, you can tell her how you really feel about her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Poor Bruce...and...poor Bruce!
> 
> UP NEXT: Bruce and Diana talk...among other things while MU Bruce has an unexpected visitor. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**_Wayne Manor (AU)_ **

Bruce finished dressing for the day, checking his appearance one more time before heading towards the door of his bedroom. He’d barely slept last night, tossing and turning and unable to think about anything other than kissing Diana. It was amazing and yet he’d just risked destroying their friendship for something he wasn’t even sure she wanted with him.

Things were probably going to be awkward between them now, uncomfortable and somewhat uncertain around each other. He swore to himself that he wasn’t going to allow that to happen. He was going to face this situation that he had created head-on. He wasn’t about to let this ruin what they had together. He’d tuck his feelings away for her and never bring it up again if that was what she wanted.

He just prayed that wasn’t the case.

Exiting his bedroom, he found no sign of Diana anywhere, her bedroom door still closed. He wasn’t certain if he was relieved or disappointed about it. He made his way downstairs, the delicious aroma of breakfast greeting him. He hoped that they could keep what happened last night between them. He really didn’t need Dick or Alfred inserting themselves into the situation. This was solely between him and Diana and no one else.

Entering the kitchen, Bruce was disappointed to find Dick sitting alone at the table eating breakfast. “Good morning, Master Bruce,” Alfred greeted him with a smile. “I trust you slept well.”

“Hey, Bruce,” Dick said. “Did you and Diana have a good time last night?”

“Yes, we had a great time,” Bruce replied as he slipped into his seat at the table. “Where’s Diana?”

“She has not come down yet,” Alfred informed him.

Dick laughed, elbowing Bruce in the ribs. “Like you didn’t know that,” he teased him.

“I didn’t,” Bruce coolly stated. “I haven’t seen her since we returned home last night.”

“If you say so,” Dick muttered.

“I didn’t sleep with Diana.”

“If you say so.”

“Where were you last night?” Bruce asked his brother as Alfred set a cup of coffee before him. “You were supposed to be at the event.”

“I…was there,” Dick tried to tell him. “Didn’t you see me?”

“No, I didn’t see you and no, you were not there,” Bruce firmly stated.

Dick had the decency to look sheepish as he glanced at his older brother. “I was headed there after I stop by to see Barbara, but…well, one thing led to another…and…”

“And you didn’t make it,” Bruce finished for him with a disapproving scowl. “Mom would be so proud of you right now.”

“Hey, it’s not all my fault,” Dick muttered. “Blame Barbara for being so gorgeous. That and she couldn’t keep her hands off me last night after we talked.”

“So, I take it you two are back together again?”

“Yah,” his brother replied with a dreamy smile. “Are we ever together.”

Bruce rolled his eyes with a huff of annoyance, wondering how his brother managed to pull that off. He broke up with Barbara and broke her heart before taking off to travel the world for a whole year. Now, she was taking him back with open arms as if he hadn’t crushed her spirit. How did Dick always manage to have such a way with women?

“You are incorrigible,” Bruce muttered in annoyance.

Dick chuckled as he poked his eggs with his fork. “I can’t help it women find me charming and irresistible. It’s a curse.”

“And annoying…very, very annoying,” Bruce added with a frown as he took a part of the newspaper from his brother, Alfred setting a plate of eggs before him. “Thank you, Alfred.”

“I should say you and Miss Diana made a very lovely couple last night,” Alfred informed him. “You two turned quite a few heads at the charity event.”

“I don’t know about that,” Bruce replied, feeling uncomfortable talking about this.

“You created quite a stir,” Alfred revealed. “Too bad the press wasn’t there to capture it all. You would’ve been front page news.”

“Alfred…” Bruce grumbled with a groan. “Diana and I are not a couple.”

“Not yet,” Dick chimed in.

“You two need to find something else to occupy yourselves besides my love life,” Bruce grumbled.

Dick laughed as he put more ketchup on his eggs. “Yah, but it’s so much fun.”

Bruce shot Dick a glare that quickly melted as Diana entered the kitchen, his voice a low, threating hiss. “Not another word.”

“Good morning,” Diana said, taking her seat across from Bruce and Dick.

“Good morning, Miss Diana,” Alfred warmly greeted her. “How do eggs sound this morning?”

“Sounds perfect, Alfred,” she agreed with a smile.

“Did you have fun last night, Diana?” Dick asked.

Diana cast a fleeting glance at Bruce before thanking Alfred for the cup of coffee. “Yes, it was nice to be out of the manor for a while and around people.”

“Bruce didn’t bore you, did he?” Dick questioned her, giving his brother a cheeky grin. “He can be like that sometimes you know.”

“Not at all,” she said, gazing at Dick over the rim of her coffee cup. “We had a wonderful time.”

Bruce felt relieved by her response and yet more than a little worried with how she wasn’t really making eye contact with him. “We saw Oliver and Dinah,” Bruce revealed. “I think they finally set a date for their wedding.”

“It’s about time,” Dick responded. “They’ve only been engaged for like six months.”

“She also got to meet Vandal,” Bruce added, remembering Diana’s initial reaction to seeing him.

“Now, Vandal is a great guy,” Dick gushed, pointing his fork at Diana. “I keep telling him he needs to run for president someday. He would win in a landslide.”

Diana almost choked on her coffee with his words, trying to remind herself that this Vandal Savage was not the one that she had come to know and loathe. She thanked Alfred as he set the plate of eggs and toast before her, setting out the homemade orange marmalade that he knew she loved.

“Are you going to be his campaign manager?” Bruce asked.

“Nah, I’ve got too much on my hands right now.”

“Like Barbara,” Bruce noted.

“You and Barbara got back together?” Diana questioned him.

“Last night,” Dick revealed with a grin. “That’s why we didn’t make it to the charity event.”

“Like I said…mom would be so proud,” Bruce sarcastically added.

“I’m so happy for you,” Diana told him. “I wondered why I didn’t see you there last night. I was hoping to have a dance with you.”

Dick grinned broadly at her. “I promise I’ll make it up to you at the next gala.”

“I’m holding you to it.”

“Hey, I gotta go,” Dick said as he looked up at the clock on the wall, jumping to his feet with cup in hand. He quickly downed the rest of his coffee before setting it down. “I’m meeting Barbara in half an hour. I’m going with her to pick out a new car. Her old one finally bit the dust.”

“You’ll have to bring her by the manor,” Diana told him. “I’d love to meet her sometime.”

“We’ll have to go on a double date,” Dick replied, wiggling his eyebrows at her as he clapped Bruce on the back, his insinuation was not lost on any of them.

Bruce ground his teeth as he tightened his hold on his fork. It took everything inside of him not to physically assault his brother. “We’ll have her over for dinner soon,” he suggested, noticing how Diana’s cheeks tinged pink as she focused on her breakfast.

Dick just waved as he grabbed his cell phone off the table before hurrying out of the kitchen, leaving Bruce and Diana with Alfred as chaperone. Bruce glanced at Diana across the table from him, still not making any eye contact with him. It made his heart sink to see her reacting like this to him.

“Well, I’m going to head downstairs to see what more I can find,” Diana announced as she stood to her feet, leaving her breakfast unfinished.

Bruce sighed heavily as she left the kitchen, hating the fact that she was avoiding him now. He needed to talk to her…needed to make things right between them. He got up from the table, more than determined to make her talk to him.

“Diana,” he called to her as he followed her into the library. “We need to talk.”

She paused in her step, not turning around. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“I think there is,” he insisted. “You’re avoiding me. That’s the last thing in the world that I want you to do.”

“What do you want from me, Bruce?” she softly asked, finally turning to face him. “What you want I can’t give you. I can’t stay here with you. I need to return home where I belong.”

“I know that, Diana,” he admitted as he studied her. “I’m not asking you for forever. I only want what we can have now.”

“It’ll only end in heartbreak for both of us,” she tried to argue with him with a sad shake of her head. “I can’t do that to you.”

He slowly closed the distance between them, his piercing blue eyes burning clear through to her soul. “Diana, I’m already in love with you,” he confessed. “I’ll have a broken heart no matter what the future holds for us, but I’m willing to risk it for even just a few days with you.”

Diana felt her resolve beginning to crumble in the wake of his confession. This was what she’d wanted all along with her Bruce, but he’d been too afraid to take the risk. This Bruce here with her now wasn’t afraid. He was willing to risk everything for some happiness even though they both knew it was likely doomed in the end. They were like star crossed lovers, falling in love but never meant for a forever after.

Couldn’t she have just a little bit of happiness for however long that lasted? Didn’t she deserve to know Bruce’s love even for a short time? He’d been her anchor since he found her on that road, helping her through the devastating changes in her life. She’d been all alone in a world that was not her own, a world where her powers no longer existed. He’d been her link to her universe, to the life that she’d known and the man that she loved. 

How had the lines between two worlds and two men become so blurred?

“You’re so beautiful,” Bruce murmured, his fingers lightly tracing the curve of her face before settling on her jaw. “I never believed in love at first sight until I saw you.”

Without a second thought, Diana captured his lips with her own, taking them both by surprise. It didn’t take long for him to reciprocate though. He cupped her face with his hands, holding her close as he poured his love for her into that kiss.

She retreated with a soft gasp, her forehead coming to rest against his. “I love him,” she softly admitted as her hand moved to the side of his neck, her thumb caressing his jaw. “But I love you too. I don’t even know how that is possible, but it’s true. I love you both.”

His lips curled with her confession, his heart taking flight. “I understand and I can accept that,” he promised her. “I just don’t understand how he had the strength to resist you.”

“I think he’s afraid,” she revealed. “He’s been broken and suffered so much loss so many times before that he’s afraid to try again.”

“I’m not afraid, Diana,” he told her. “I want you…I love you…and I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to prove that to you even if it’s just for a little while.”

“You already have,” she softly replied, raking her teeth across her bottom lip before pressing her mouth to his once more.

“Not yet…not completely,” he said, his breathing beginning to grow ragged with just the thought of where this was headed.

He lifted her up to wrap her long legs around his waist as he kissed her deeply. He carried her out of the library and up the stairs to his bedroom, fully prepared to show her just what he felt for her. His shirt fell to the floor followed by hers, his hands finding the clasp to her bra and removing it slowly as if unwrapping a gift.

Her chest rose and fell with growing anticipation as he touched her, lightly running his fingers over her flesh before fully taking her into his hand. Her eyes fluttered closed as her breathing grew labored, a throaty moan slipping past her lips as her head fell back with the pleasure beginning to build and course through her body like a mighty river.

She gasped as his hands slipped down her abdomen to unbutton her shorts. He took his time sliding them down past her hips, following them down to the floor. He slowly worked his way back up, caressing and kissing the length of her impossibly long legs and along her abdomen.

Diana was a little more impatient, her hands making quick work of his shorts as she kissed along his collarbone. She smiled against his throat as she nipped at his pulse point, kissing it tenderly before finding his mouth once more with a need for more.

He swiftly picked her up, pressing her back against the door of his bedroom. He feasted on her neck before finding her breast with an intense need that refused to be silenced until sated. She tilted her head back against the door, her fingers threading through his hair as she held him against her breast.

He kneaded her backside as he nipped and suckled on her sensitive flesh, a throaty plea escaping her parted lips. He firmly grasped her hips before gently pulling her down onto him with a strangled grunt. She gasped sharply, her back arching as he slowly filled her with himself. 

“I love you,” he whispered, pausing to kiss along her jaw. “I’m going to show you the love that you’ve deserved all along.”

Diana could only nod her head in response, already becoming overwhelmed by the pleasure spiking through her and settling low in her pelvis. She panted heavily as he began to rock against her, pausing to grind his pelvis against hers to intensify her pleasure. He hissed softly in her ear as her fingernails raked up his back, causing him to buck his hips wildly in response. She locked her heels behind his back, allowing him to take her at will.

It didn’t take long before stars erupted behind her eyelids as she came with cry, feeling boneless from the sheer pleasure that overtook her entire body. “Bruce…” she panted his name, her lips finding his in a rough kiss.

He smiled against her breast, pausing to nip at her flesh before finally. The feel of her so tight around him was making his head spin. She was already driving him crazy and he wasn’t anywhere near being done with her yet. If he had his way, he’d keep her here in his bedroom forever.

He carried her over to his bed, kissing passionately as they into it. He found himself already becoming fully aroused all over again, Diana’s mouth falling open with a strangled cry with the feel of him so hot and hard inside of her. Her fingernails found purchase in his shoulders as she struggled to catch her breath. She drew her knees further up his body, clamping down around his upper torso as he began thrusting again.

“Diana,” he gasped her name, pausing to press his forehead against her collarbone.

He set a languid pace this time instead of the frenzied love that they’d just made. His measured strokes were slow and sensual in an incredibly intimate way, causing her to beg for much more of him. He kissed her forehead, her nose, each eyelid before finding her lips in a toe-curling kiss that nearly had her coming undone right then and there.

He caressed the back of her thigh before gently drawing her knee up to prop over his shoulder. He began to move faster, determined to give her an earth-shattering orgasm. She deserved so much love and adoration and he was going to give it to her no matter what.

He worshipped at the alter that was Diana, driving harder and deeper within her as he gave her all that he had. He kissed her with a fierce passion, his tongue mimicking what was happening with their lower bodies at that moment. His hand found her breast once more, squeezing and kneading her as his other hand caressed her hip.

Diana didn’t know which end was up as she began to writhe and squirm beneath him. She felt like she was going to shatter into a million pieces as he balanced her on a knife’s edge, pulling back just enough to calm her down a little only to bring her right back to that frantic demand for release.

Unable to take it a moment longer, Diana suddenly rolled them over, taking full control as she began to move over him with unrestrained need. Stunned by the sudden change in position, Bruce immediately grasped her hips, holding on for dear life. The erotic sight of watching her ride him was almost enough to do him in.

She was so full of a fierce and undeniable passion, one that he was blessed to be experiencing at its fullest. She suddenly threw her head back as she came with a heated rush that left her trembling uncontrollably, Bruce following right after her with a strangled cry of her name.

He pulled her down into a rough kiss, his hands roaming over her body moist with perspiration. She broke the kiss to gaze down at him, a gentle smile forming on her lips. “I love you,” she confessed. “I know you’re not him, but I love you for you. I want to be with you too for as long as we have.”

He reached up to brush a raven curl out of her face, hooking it behind her ear. “You never know,” he replied. “You might end up stuck here forever.”

Sadness veiled Diana’s face as she averted her eyes that stung with sudden tears that blurred her vision. “Yah, I know.”

Bruce sat up, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Hey, I know this isn’t home to you, but I promise to make you as happy as I can. I love you, Diana. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”

“I love you and I’d love to stay here with you forever, but I miss my friends…my mother and sisters…and I miss him,” she admitted, biting at her bottom lip. “They seem so far away right now…unreachable and lost to me.”

“I know,” he replied with a frown. “I wish there was something I could do to make it better for you.”

She smiled lovingly at him, brushing the jet-black hair from his forehead. “You already have,” she murmured, grinding her hips against his.

He throaty groan was ripped from his chest with the movement of her hips. “I swear to you I won’t give up helping you try to return home even if I want you to stay here with me,” he promised her. “Your happiness means more to me than my own.”

She clenched her inner walls around him, her lips connecting with his. “Thank you,” she softly murmured.

She felt him twitch inside of her, a low breathy moan fanning her neck. His large hands slowly slid up her back to settle on her shoulder blades as he titled his head and captured her lips. He kissed her with a slow, passionate burn that conveyed his love for her. She had never felt so cherished and adored in her life. She never wanted it to end and yet, deep down, she knew they were on borrowed time with no guarantee that she would be here forever.

She returned his kisses with equal desire, her tongue sliding sensually against his as they fell back into the bed against the pillows behind him. As she stroked his hair, she decided that she was going to enjoy every single second she had here with him for however long it lasted.

She knew in her heart this wasn’t the Bruce that she had fallen in love with first, but she had fallen in love with him, nonetheless. She wrapped her arm around him as his mouth latched onto her breast, her hand coming to rest against the back of his head as he began to suckle and tease her.

Despite the sweet ecstasy that pulsated through her entire body, she couldn’t deny the twinge of guilt that sprang up inside of her. She felt as if she was betraying her Bruce, but deep down she knew he had never really been her Bruce. He wouldn’t allow it. He’d made that very clear in the heated argument they’d had in his lab before rushing off to face off against Grodd.

With that reminder, she threw herself fully into the passion that seized hold of both of them, pushing thoughts of him from her mind as she focused on the Bruce who did love her.

**_Gotham (MU)_ **

Bruce hurried down the steps of the manor, angry with himself for sleeping so long. He’d intended to only sleep for a few hours, not nearly eight hours. He had to admit that he definitely felt better than he had before he’d finally gone to bed around five in the morning. His mind felt clearer, his body stronger.

Entering the kitchen to grab a quick sandwich, he stopped short, somewhat startled to find Alfred talking to Donna. He’d had no idea that she was even here, her appearance causing his heart to stutter out of rhythm with just the sight of her. She looked so much like Diana. It made his breath catch in his throat.

“Morning, sleepy head,” Donna said with a grin before taking a sip of her tea.

“Donna,” he formally greeted her. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“I wanted to come see you,” she informed him. “I wanted to thank you for not giving up on my sister when everyone else had. I knew in my heart that she was still alive. You were the only one in the world who believed it too.”

Bruce had forgotten about the soul connection that Donna shared with Diana. He felt stupid for not remembering that fact earlier. She might have been able to help him find her. “I’m not going to give up until I get her back to this universe where she belongs.”

“You look like crap,” Donna told him with a worried frown. “Dick told me you looked terrible, but I didn’t believe it until I saw you with my own eyes.”

“Thanks,” he grumbled with a scowl.

“You look better since getting some actual sleep,” Alfred interjected, setting lunch on the table for him.

Bruce took his seat at the table, offering for Donna to join him. “Please,” he said, indicating the chair across from him.

“For a little while,” Donna relented, sliding into the chair across from him.

“I’ll make a plate for you as well, Miss Donna,” Alfred offered.

“Thank you, Alfred,” she replied with a smile.

“Can you feel Diana?” he asked her, intent on gathering as much information as possible to help him find her.

“I can feel that she’s still alive, but other than that…nothing,” she revealed. “I wish I could tell you more. When she was in this universe, I could feel her emotions, but I can’t feel any of that now.”

“At least you can feel your connection to her,” he said with a nod. “That just further confirms to me that she’s alive.”

“So, tell me…how long have you been in love with my sister?”

Bruce nearly choked on his sandwich, his eyes narrowing. “Dick can’t keep his mouth shut to save his life,” he groused, pausing to take a drink. 

Donna cocked a raven eyebrow as she waited for a response. “Well?”

“It seems like forever,” he found himself confessing as he gazed down at his lunch, wondering if Donna had the same innate ability as Diana to force the truth from him.

“Same for her,” Donna revealed.

Bruce’s head shot up in stunned disbelief. “Really?”

“I’m afraid so,” she confirmed. “She managed to lock it away some time ago, but it’s definitely still there…still growing stronger with time. You can see it in her face and in her eyes when she talks about you.”

Bruce could hardly believe what he was hearing. He always knew that Diana felt something for him, but he never dreamed it went as far as love…or he just didn’t want to believe it. Believing meant accepting it and accepting it meant doing something about it and doing something about it terrified him. Still did to some extent, but he was more than determined now.

Her disappearance a week ago had opened his eyes to the fact that life was far too short to live in fear, wanting and never having, loving but never sharing in that love. He’d lost her regardless of being in a relationship with her or not. He still felt utter despair and rage as if she’d truly been his all along.

“I’m just afraid that I’ve lost my chance with her,” he softly said.

“Bruce, Diana loves with her whole heart,” she reminded him. “Her love is not fickle or whimsical, changing with the wind or her mood that day. It’s fierce and passionate, intense and eternal. A love like that doesn’t just disappear or fade away.”

He nodded his head in agreement, knowing in his heart that she was right. If there was one thing that he had learned over the years, it was that Diana’s heart never swayed, her love knowing no bounds. “I guess I never realized just how much I loved her until she was no longer here,” he admitted, not knowing where all of this was coming from. It wasn’t like him to just pour out his heart to others. Then, again, his heart was broken at that moment with Diana gone, his life so incomplete.

Donna reached across the table, placing her hand on top of his. “You’ll get that second chance,” she reassured him. “I trust you, Bruce. You’ll find her and bring her home to us. Just promise me you’ll take a chance on her.”

“How is your mother holding up?” he asked, desperately needing to change the subject.

“I’m on my way to Themyscira now to tell her the news,” Donna revealed, holding a hand up as Bruce opened his mouth. “I know…I know…I’m not supposed to tell anyone, but mother deserves to know. Besides, it’s not like news will ever leave the island.”

“I guess so,” he murmured, pursing his lips. “I’m just worried about too many people knowing.”

“I know,” she said with a grin. “Dick and Diana have both told me about your paranoia.”

“It has come in handy on more than one occasion,” he insisted. “I just don’t know what would happen if the world knew she was still alive but trapped in another dimension. It could alter Grodd’s plans or he may try to alter his weapon. I need to get my hands on that weapon to see if I can reverse engineer it somehow.”

“Well, I need to be on my way,” Donna announced as she stood to her feet. “Thanks for lunch, Alfred.”

“My pleasure,” he assured her.

“Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you,” Donna told Bruce.

“I will,” he replied.

Donna paused beside him, kissing him on the cheek. “Don’t give up hope. Bruce. She loves you. No matter what, don’t ever forget that.”

Bruce could only nod his head as Alfred escorted Donna to the front door of the manor. He felt an overwhelming resurgence in his soul with the revelation that Diana genuinely loved him. He couldn’t help the joy that surged through his heart with the thought.

Diana loved him.

Getting to his feet, he took his sandwich and cup of coffee, anxious to get down to the cave so he could get back to work. He wanted to check in with Lord Batman to see what he’d found so far. He knew that the chances of him finding her so soon were slim to say the least, but he still wanted to know how the search was progressing.

Hurrying down the steps, the lights automatically turned on with his presence, illuminating the entire cave. He took the steps up the platform two at a time, careful not to spill his coffee. Settling into his chair before his computer system, he turned it on, immediately sending out a call to Lord Batman.

It only took a few seconds for Lord Batman’s visage to appear on the screen before him larger than life. “How is the search coming?” Bruce asked without preamble.

The corner of Lord Batman’s lips quirked slightly. “I’m not surprised to see you so soon after talking last,” he stated. “In fact, I expected you to contact me an hour ago.”

“I slept.”

“Good,” Batman said. “You still look terrible…a little better, but still terrible.”

“I’ve been told,” Bruce ground out. “What have you found so far?”

“I’ve searched thirty-nine universes so far, finding different variations of Diana, but not your Diana,” he revealed.

Bruce’s forehead creased as he considered his words. “What kind of variations?”

“Diana as a mortal with no powers, Diana married to Steve Trevor, Diana living with Bruce Wayne, Wonder Woman married to Batman,” he informed him, his lips curling into a disgusted sneer. “Wonder Woman with Superman.”

Bruce internally cringed with the thought. It had always been a fear of his, jealous of how Clark and Diana had been quite close even from the beginning. He knew it was a sibling type relationship, but it still got under his skin at times. Knowing they were together in other universes didn’t sit well with him in the least.

“Anything else?”

“Diana never leaving Themyscira,” he told him. “Diana as a super villain.”

“Diana as a super villain?” he said with a frown. “That doesn’t even seem possible.”

“I have to agree,” he uttered with a nod. “It was somewhat surreal to bear witness to.”

“And you’re positive none of them were her?”

“None of them matched your Diana’s unique signature,” he confirmed.

Bruce thoughtfully rubbed his chin with his forefinger. “There has to be a faster way of tracking her down…some way of finding her without having to check every single known universe.”

“I’ve been thinking about that very thing,” Lord Batman revealed. “I’ve begun to work on a way to narrow down the search. It’s in the early stages right now, but I’m hoping to develop something to help with the process.”

“There just has to be a better way,” he groused.

“Let me see what I can come up with and I’ll get back to you,” he replied. “How are things coming on your end?”

“Slow,” Bruce admitted, his frustration palpable. “It’s going to take time to get it built and fully operational.”

“You can do it,” he assured him. “Just remember who you’re doing it for.”

“I can’t forget,” he confessed, his throat constricting. “It’s personal.”

 ** _Secret Society (MU)_**

“Why did he call this meeting?” Killer Frost grumbled, tilting her chair back. “Didn’t we just have a meeting?”

“Maybe Grodd was able to complete a new weapon already,” Parasite replied.

“Not already,” Copperhead countered with a hiss. “It took him nearly a month to build the first one.”

“I’m not holding out hope for anything positive coming out of this meeting,” Shade added, sitting kicked back in his chair with his feet propped up on the table as he twirled his cane.

Sinestro sat forward, his forearms coming to rest on the table. “I don’t have time for this,” he groused. “I’ve got things to do. This isn’t getting us anywhere fast.”

“You have things to do like what?” Frost questioned him. “Trying to take Green Lantern out for the hundredth time only to fail again?”

“You want to say that again?” Sinestro growled as he leapt to his feet, leaning across the table with a threatening glare.

“Back off, Sinestro,” Gorilla Grodd yelled as he entered the room. “Fighting amongst ourselves isn’t going to get us anywhere and it’s not going to get rid of the Justice League.”

“Why did you call this meeting, Grodd?” Parasite demanded to know. “You couldn’t possibly have built a new ray gun already.”

“No, but I was able to make a few guns that look like the real thing,” Grodd said. 

“What good are fake guns?” Sinestro questioned him.

“The Justice League doesn’t know that,” Grodd pointed out.

“I like it,” Copperhead agreed. “Let’s instill a little fear in the League while you work on building the real one.”

“Exactly,” Grodd said, his lips curling into a wicked grin. “Time to put the Justice League on the run.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, there you go. Diana made her choice at least for now. I'm really enjoying writing this. It's a nice change of pace to write a messy fic where our heroes don't always make the best choices, but please hang with me. We'll resolve all the problems this affair will cause.
> 
> UP NEXT: Grodd strikes, Bruce and Diana talk, Batman makes a discovery, and Donna confides in Dick. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**_Metropolis (MU)_ **

Superman flew onto the scene of terror that had erupted in the middle of his city, his jaw set with determination and his eyes filled with anger. The Secret Society had decided to show their faces again and in his city of all places. He knew the danger they presented with their new weapon, but he couldn’t allow that to deter him from keeping his city and its residents safe.

“Superman to Batman,” he hailed.

“What is it?” Batman bluntly demanded to know in his typical annoyed fashion.

“The Secret Society is here in Metropolis,” he informed him.

“I’ll be there in three minutes…contact J’onn,” he stated before abruptly ending the transmission.

“Superman to Watchtower,” he called. “J’onn, they’re here in Metropolis.”

“I’m sending backup now,” he informed him.

Superman didn’t hesitate or wait for backup. Copperhead, Killer Frost, and Parasite were outside of the Metropolis Bank wreaking havoc on the city. Citizens ran in every direction, trying to avoid getting caught up in the terror they had come to cause.

“Oh, look!” Copperhead said, feigning fear. “It’s Superman. He’s come to take us away.”

“Yah, that’s what he thinks,” Killer Frost retorted with a roll of her eyes.

Killer Frost immediately threw thousands of ice spikes at Superman that easily melted with his heat vision, creating clouds of steam. “That did a whole lot of nothing!” Copperhead hissed in disdain.

“Shut your mouth or I’ll shut it for you—permanently,” she angrily spouted off.

The Man of Steel landed before them, prepared to stop them no matter the cost to himself. Despite Lois’s words still ringing in his mind about being careful, he knew that he couldn’t allow them to hurt anyone else. They’re already taken Diana from them. No more would suffer because of these villains.

Parasite lunged at Superman only to receive a Batarang to the forehead. He stumbled backwards as Copperhead drew a weapon that looked all too familiar. Superman and Batman immediately dove out of the way as Parasite fired his weapon at them.

A blue beam just like what had consumed every inch of Diana shot past the two superheroes, evaporating into nothing and doing no harm. Gorilla Grodd came out of the bank at that moment, carrying an identical weapon to Parasite’s.

“Great,” Batman growled. “They have more than one.”

Gorilla Grodd and Parasite began firing their weapons at them, forcing the League to duck for cover. Appearing on the scene, the Black Canary’s deafening ultrasonic cry suddenly filled the air, everyone covering their ears in an effort to keep from being completely incapacitated by it. 

Green Arrow popped up behind a Cadillac with bow and arrow primed and ready for attack. He launched one of his arrows while the villains were still distracted by his girlfriend, a net shooting out the tip of the arrow and capturing Killer Frost.

“Hey!” Frost yelled in annoyance, trying to fight her way free from the net that had her pinned to the ground.

“You’re not getting out of that, lady,” Green Arrow smugly taunted her.

“Oh, really?” she shouted. “Watch me!”

Killer Frost used her ice generating abilities to freeze the net, kicking it and shattering it into a thousand pieces. “Okay, so you can,” Green Arrow mumbled in irritation. “You can’t get away from this, though.”

Arrow swiftly pulled another arrow in one, quick fluid motion, releasing a knockout gas arrow that did the trick. He watched in satisfaction as she dropped to the ground, out cold without uttering another cocky comment. “Told you,” he muttered in satisfaction.

Zatanna used her magic to cause a nearby lamp pole to move like a live snake, slithering around Parasite and wrapping him up like a mummy. “Hey! Get me out of this thing!” he shouted, finding himself wrapped up in metal to his neck.

“Zatanna!” Batman yelled from behind a Ford pickup truck. “Get me that weapon!”

“Em ot emoc,” she chanted as she stretched out her hands at the gorilla, the weapon in Grodd’s hands coming straight to Zatanna. “Didn’t see that coming, did you big guy?”

“You can’t take that!” Grodd growled, enraged.

“Too bad, big boy,” Zatanna taunted him as she waved the weapon at him.

Copperhead grabbed a couple of bags of money they’d robbed from the bank, waving it at Grodd. “This stupid plan has gone south fast,” he told him. “I’m getting outta here.”

“You’re going nowhere,” Batman stated, throwing an electrified bola at the serpent.

Copperhead cried out in pain as the shock tore through him like a bolt of lightning, causing him to jerk and shake with the last remnants of the charge. Grodd roared in fury, grabbing Copperhead and Killer Frost and throwing them over each of his shoulders. “Go! Run!”

“I’d love to but I’m a little trapped here!” Parasite ground out, struggling to escape.

Gritting his teeth, Parasite managed to break free, throwing a nearby truck that caused the League to dive for cover once more and buying him and his teammates time to get away. Green Arrow and Black Canary chased after them as Zatanna made her way over to Batman.

“Here you go,” she said, handing him the weapon. “Hopefully, it’ll help you figure out what happened to Diana.”

“I hope so too,” he murmured, tapping a few buttons on the minicomputer on his gauntlet.

Superman and Zatanna watched as Batman disappeared from the scene, leaving them both standing there to clean up the mess. “Not even a goodbye or a thank you,” Zatanna grumbled, her fists finding her hips.

“Did you really expect to get one?” Superman asked her, glancing at her with a cocked eyebrow.

“No, not really,” she admitted with a tilt of her head. “Still, it would’ve been nice for a change.”

Superman chuckled in response. “I wouldn’t hold your breath for that to happen.”

“That’s one thing I’ve learned about Batman in the many years that I’ve known him.”

“I’m going to clean up here,” Superman told her. “I need to return what money they didn’t steal.”

“Superman, do you think he’ll be able to find Diana?”

Superman studied her for a long moment, wondering just how much she actually knew. “Do you think she’s still alive?”

“Batman does and that’s good enough for me.”

“If she’s alive, he’ll definitely find her,” he stated with absolute conviction.

“Yah, you’re right about that.”

“I just hope he can find her sooner rather than later,” Superman thoughtfully revealed, a distant look in his eyes.

Zatanna couldn’t help but notice there was something that he was holding back. “Do you know something?”

“Not nearly enough,” he cryptically told her. “I just know Bruce. If he doesn’t find her soon…I don’t know what will become of him.”

“I have to agree with you there,” she replied. “I’ll see you back at the Watchtower.”

“Thanks for your help, Zee,” he said, watching as she too disappeared from sight with a smile and a wave.

Superman stood there for a long moment before going around and gathering up the bags of money the Secret Society had left behind. Each day that passed by made him that much more worried about Bruce and Diana. Bruce was hanging by a threat. He could only imagine how Diana was doing. He just hoped that she was safe.

“Hang on, Diana,” he murmured to himself. “We’re coming for you.”

**_Wayne Manor (AU)_ **

Diana laid curled up on her side in bed, shaken from the dreams that she had been having the last few days. She rubbed her face before running her fingers through her hair, trying to regain some sense of composure once more, but it was beyond difficult.

One moment, she was talking to Batman in the Batcave, laughing about something that he’d said with that very dry sense of humor of his. His lips would try so hard not to allow his lips to quirk in joined amusement, typically failing when he was around her. They would banter and tiptoe so close to the line that Batman refused to cross, drawing her in only to gently shove her away by the time she left.

Before she knew it, the dream would shift to the Bruce of this world. They would make passionate love, both of them collapsing breathlessly onto the bed. They’d hold each other close, chests heaving, and bodies covered in a thin sheen of sweat. They would kiss tenderly, sharing their dreams and hopes for the future.

Then the dream would shift again, and she’d find herself kissing Bruce in that Indian restaurant and on the run from Thanagarians trying to take over the world. He would say “don’t be” to her murmured apology with that sexy smirk that she was so desperate to kiss right off his face.

Gazing at the Bruce asleep at her side, Diana couldn’t help wondering what in the name of Hera she was doing. She was in love with both of them and yet one of them didn’t want her…had made it perfectly clear there was nothing between them. This Bruce here by her side wanted her more than anything and was determined to have her for however long that may be.

She felt her heart clench with overt sorrow, knowing she couldn’t stay here…or could she?

She felt so torn, her heart and her mind in a fierce battle. She knew that she had to find some sort of resolution to this soon. She couldn’t keep going on like this…sleeping with Bruce and yet trying to return to Bruce. While these last couple of months spent in his arms had been beyond amazing, she couldn’t help the guilt that continued to haunt her.

It was making her head spin just trying to think about it, sorting out her feelings becoming next to impossible. She knew she loved them both, but in different ways and for vastly different reasons. Then, why did she feel so guilty every time she made love with Bruce?

She felt as though she was betraying the Bruce that she had left behind for reasons that she didn’t understand. She knew that Bruce had feelings for her just as he knew about her feelings for him. Still, he had refused to pursue her, refused to even discuss trying to have a relationship with her.

It caused tears to prick her eyes as she thought about him. She missed him deeply, missed their friendly repartee and how he would go out of his way to show he cared about her without actually saying it. She missed his broody mood and the cocky smirk he would give her, the way he fought so bravely during a mission.

Studying the man beside her, Diana couldn’t help but smile. He was so like her Bruce, but there was a warmth and compassion that her Bruce worked so hard not to let show through. This Bruce was so open and honest, not hiding how he felt about her. He was taking a great risk to his heart by delving headlong into a relationship with a woman who wasn’t meant to be a part of his world, someone who was trying to leave him.

She felt her heart swell with love for this man who felt she was worth the heartache…choosing love and happiness even for a short time rather not having it at all. That’s all she had ever wanted with Batman. She didn’t want to change him or turn his world upside down. She just wanted to be allowed to love him…to give and receive and build a life…a future with him.

Why was he so scared of happiness and love…so scared of her?

“What are you thinking about?”

The sound of his sleepy baritone voice cut through her turmoiled thoughts. She looked up to find those soulful blue eyes that she loved gazing at her with such love it stole her breath away. He reached out, gently rubbing the spot between her eyebrows.

Diana chuckled softly. “What are you doing?”

“I can always tell when you’re worried or trying to work something out in your head,” he replied. “You get furrow lines…right there.”

“I do?”

He nodded his head in confirmation, his expression growing solemn. “What are you thinking about?”

Diana looked down at his bare chest that was devoid of any scars and yet still just as muscular as the hero who had endured so much more than anyone deserved. “I don’t feel like I’m being very fair to you,” she softly confessed, biting at her bottom lip. Hurting him was the last thing that she wanted to do.

Bruce’s fingers found the chin, forcing her to look up at him. “Why do you feel you’re not being fair to me?” he asked. “Because you love your Bruce?”

Diana slowly nodded her head, her vision blurring. “I’m sorry, Bruce,” she whispered, her voice choked with tears.

“Diana, I knew that going into this,” he pointed out. “Do you love me?”

“Yes, I love you,” she confirmed. “If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t be here sharing your bed.”

His lips slowly curved into a smile. “That’s all I need,” he replied.

“But—”

“Shhh…no buts,” he insisted. “You love me, and you love him, but he’s not here. I am here. He was too scared to act on his feelings, but I’m not afraid. I only want whatever you’re willing to give and nothing more, Diana.”

Her eyes fell closed as a tear escaped, his warm lips erasing it. “I don’t know why you would want to start something with me that I might not be able to finish.”

“You really don’t know why?” he asked her as he stroked her hair. “You are a remarkable woman, Diana. Any heartache that might come in the future will be painful, but I’ll have these amazing memories with you that will make it all worth it.”

“I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you,” she murmured, her fingers lightly tracing the curve of his jaw.

“I like to think that God sent you to me for a reason,” he admitted. “My personal angel from another heaven, saving me from a life spent solely with Dick and Alfred as my only company…a fate worse than death.”

She couldn’t help but laugh, Bruce laughing along with her. “Bruce…” she whispered in a chiding tone.

“There’s the smile that lights up my heart,” he softly said, the tip of his finger caressing the corner of her lips.

Diana claimed his lips with a sweet kiss, her heart unexpectedly feeling lighter already. She couldn’t help but wonder how he was always able to do that as she moved to straddle him, the sheet falling away from her nude body. He groaned as she began to grind her pelvis against his, his eyes fluttering closed with the desire that began to swell like a thunderhead inside of him.

She smiled against his lips as she laced her fingers with his, pinning his hands to the mattress on either side of his head. “You are the most wonderful man in the world,” she told him, kissing the length of his throat, pausing to rake her teeth over his pulse point.

Bruce pressed the back of his head deeply into the pillow as she kissed and nipped along the curve of his muscular chest, his fingers breaking free to slide up into her hair and holding her there. He wasn’t about to ask her in which world he was the most wonderful man, knowing he had competition in another.

He was content to have her here in his world with him for however long that may be. He would love nothing more than for her to stay here forever, but he also knew that he couldn’t force her to stay nor could he try to stop her attempts to return home. She would only end up resenting him for it and that wasn’t something that he could handle.

He moaned her name as she nipped along the valleys of his abdomen, squeezing his eyes closed against the intense pleasure that shot straight through him and settled in his groin as she stroked him. She was driving him crazy with her mouth and hands, making him desperate to be completely surrounded by her once more.

Diana squealed as Bruce suddenly sat up and pushed her onto her back, his body pressing her into the mattress beneath them. “You are such a tease,” he huskily growled, his lips roughly latching onto hers.

“You know…I think I’m going to get a shower now,” she told him, trying to get out from under him.

“You are going nowhere until I’ve had my way with you…at least twice and then again in the shower,” he insisted, an intense combination of lust and resolve flashing in his eyes.

Diana felt a shiver race straight through to her core as she lifted her head, her mouth crashing into his again. Her fingers found purchase in his hair as he gripped her hips and thrust hard, Diana breaking the kiss with a sharp gasp of pleasure with the feel of him sheathed deep within her once more.

He pressed his forehead against hers, breathing exerted and perspiration breaking out across his brow as he gazed down at her. “Don’t ever question this,” he told her, savoring the feel of her so tight around him. “Just let me love you for as long as we have together.”

All she could do was nod her head as he began moving over her, her chest heaving she lifted her hips to meet every one of his punishing thrusts. He buried his face in her neck, Diana turning to nip his earlobe. “Bruce…I love you,” she panted the words as her fingers raked up his back and into his hair, gripping it roughly.

**_Batcave (MU)_ **

Bruce slammed both fists on top of his worktable, the various tools and bottles all rattling with the force of the unexpected blow. A couple of bottles tipped over, rolling across the table and coming to a stop against one of the microscopes.

He leaned over, pressing his forehead against his fists. He should’ve known…should’ve guessed it when they were in the middle of that fight with Grodd and his cohorts. He’d been too consumed with getting his hands on one of them, getting answers that he still so desperately needed.

The weapon was a fake.

He felt the overwhelming urge to break something, his anger and worry consuming him to the point of distraction. He glanced over the machine that he’d been spending every single spare moment working on. It was slowly coming to together…far too slow for his taste, but he was more than impatient to get her back.

He had so much that he was aching to tell her, all the things that he’d kept hidden deep inside of his soul for the last four and half years. He was certain she had to know some of it. She was very perceptive especially when it came to him. She knew him almost as well as Alfred and Dick.

Still, there was so much more that she had no idea about. He shared her feelings and he couldn’t wait to tell her. He felt a surge of anxiety with the thought of telling her. Despite all his gifts…despite his genius intellect, sharing his heart was not something that he did well if at all.

For Diana, though, he was more than ready to try.

He found himself worrying about what she would say. How would she respond to his declaration of love after all this time of keeping it a secret from her? Would she be furious with him? Would she return his feelings or tell him she never wanted to see him again?

The latter nearly made him physically ill just thinking about it. He couldn’t handle not having Diane be a part of his life. If she truly hated him after opening his heart to her, he would never open his heart to anyone ever again. She would take his heart when she left, leaving him an empty shell of a man.

Bruce turned from his work desk as he began removing pieces of his uniform. He needed to find a way to clear his mind and find his focus once more. He had too many emotions teeming inside of him, all of them battling for control of him. He needed to be at his best if he was going to bring Diana back.

He made his way to his training room dressed in nothing but his uniform pants and boots. He stalked straight to his reinforced punching bag, slamming his fist into the leather with a grunt. He began a vicious assault on it, pouring all of his frustration and rage and fear into it.

He had no idea if Diana was even alive in whatever universe she’d be transported to. What if she was in a universe where survival was a constant battle, one fraught with unrelenting danger? What if she was in an endless fight for her life that never seemed to end? Had she been able to find anyone to help her? 

He hoped that she looked for him, sought him out to help her. With any luck, the Bruce in that universe would help her try to find a way to get back home. He wondered if she’d been able to contact their Justice League. Maybe they would be able to build a transporter to take her back to her world.

He prayed to her gods that she was fighting to return to the universe she belonged in.

Sweat trickled down his neck and chest as Bruce continued to kick and punch the poor bag that was taking the brunt of his tormented emotions. He was desperate to find where Grodd and the Secret Society were hiding. He needed to get his hands on the schematics for that weapon and fast.

It would definitely give him the information that he so desperately wanted and the edge they needed to stop the Secret Society before they transported anymore League members to other dimensions. He was having a difficult enough time trying to track down Diana without having to attempt to find half the League as well.

He had a horrible feeling that this was all going to go from bad to worse.

**_Blüdhaven (MU)_ **

Dick entered his apartment, tossing his keys on the counter as he released a weary breath. It had been a long day at work, a sting operation that had led to multiple arrests being the highlight of the afternoon. He was anxious to get a shower and some dinner so he could finally relax.

He kicked off his shoes before removing his clothes on his way to the bathroom, leaving a trail behind him. He turned on the shower, stepping in and allowing the water to wash away the stress of the day. He dipped his head under the spray of the shower, rubbing his face with his hands.

His mind began to wander to Bruce and the search for Diana. He hoped that Bruce was able to find her soon for his father-figure’s sake as well as Donna’s. The world needed Diana, but so did those who loved her the most…those that she had left behind.

He couldn’t help pondering what kind of universe she had ended up in, wondering if it was like this one or completely different. Wherever she ended up, he hoped that she was safe and doing well. He’d hate for her to be suffering or fighting to stay alive, waiting for someone to find a way to bring her back home.

He knew Diana, though. She was a warrior born and bred, a fighter at heart that would never give up no matter what was happening. She was probably trying to find a way to get back home right now. It wasn’t like Diana to just give up and admit defeat especially knowing she left so much behind when she was taken from them.

Turning the water off, Dick quickly dried off, wrapping the towel around his waist before exiting the bathroom with a cloud of steam surrounding him. He held the towel together with one hand as he made his way to the kitchen to grab a drink from the fridge only to be stopped short.

“Looking good there, short pants.”

Dick grinned as he turned to find Donna relaxing on his couch with a bottle of beer in her hand. “I see you’ve already helped yourself to my beer and made yourself comfortable,” he teased as he continued on to the fridge to get a beer as well.

He took a long drink before walking around the couch to sit on the one end of it. Donna lifted her feet to give him room, lowering them into his lap. “I did bring fajitas from Santino’s with me,” she revealed.

“Have I told you lately how much I love you?” he asked.

“Yes, but I love hearing it again,” she replied with a grin.

Dick picked up her foot, gently massaging it. “How did it go with your mother?”

“She cried when I got there,” she revealed. “She cried when I told her Diana was alive and then she cried more when I told her it could take years to bring her back home. She cried again when I left.”

“Maybe Bruce will find her in the next week,” Dick suggested.

Donna released a weary breath as her head fell back against the couch cushions. “That would be awesome if he could do that,” she agreed. “I’m worried mother is going to have a nervous breakdown if it takes years.”

“Your mother is strong, Troia,” he reminded her. “She’ll hold it together for you and her Amazons.”

“I know,” she confessed. “I just don’t know how I’m going to be able to wait. I miss her so much.”

“I know you do,” he gently replied. “I miss her too and I know Bruce is teetering on the edge right now.”

“I’m a little irritated with him for not telling her that he loved her a long time ago instead of letting her believe he didn’t share her feelings,” she groused. “He had to know that she was interested in him beyond teammates and friends.”

“I’m sure he did, but I also know Bruce,” Dick told her. “He probably didn’t want to admit to himself that he had feelings for Diana let alone that she had feelings for him. He finds it easier to ignore matters of the heart than actually facing them and dealing with it. If he doesn’t allow himself to acknowledge it, then it doesn’t exist.”

“They could’ve been so happy together,” she said. “Now, he’ll be fortunate if he even gets a chance to tell her how he feels.”

“They still might get a chance,” he reassured her. “If they’d been together before Diana disappeared, Bruce would be outside of his mind right now instead of just going crazy.”

“There’s a difference?”

“For Bruce…yah.”

“But wouldn’t it be better to experience that love even for a short time than to just ignore it and pretend it didn’t exist?” she questioned him.

“I guess, but I think in Bruce’s case, knowing Diana’s love before she was taken away would’ve been ten times worse for him,” he thoughtfully decided, shaking his head. “I don’t know, though. He’s a mess either way so it’s kind of hard to tell.”

“I just hope she’s okay and that she’s happy.”

“I wonder if she was able to find the Justice League in her universe,” he told her. “I’m sure the Batman or Bruce there would do everything he could to help her.”

“I don’t want her to be sad or lonely,” she wistfully replied as she played with a raven curl, repeatedly wrapping it around her finger and then releasing it. “I hope she’s having a good time wherever she is.”

Dick laughed in response. “Diana doesn’t strike me as a partier.”

“No, not like that,” she said with a frown. “I just hope she’s enjoying herself and not worrying about all of us. She’s always so concerned with everyone else’s wellbeing that she doesn’t focus on herself. Now, none of us are there are for her to worry about. She is forced to concentrate on her own happiness and welfare for once, making a new life.”

“I hope she makes it back soon before Bruce loses his mind,” he responded. “He’s going to work himself to death trying to be Batman, Bruce Wayne, and build that transportation device.”

“We will do everything we can to help him,” she told him, her voice broking no room for argument. “He’s working to bring her home. I’ll never be able to repay him for that.”

“You’ll never have to,” he reminded her. “He wants her back as much as you do.”

Donna smiled at him, sitting up and pulling her feet from his lap. “I’m so glad that you’re not like your surrogate father,” she commented, running the tip of her finger over his muscular chest. “If you hadn’t confessed that you were in love with me, we might never have gotten together.”

He took her finger from his chest, kissing the tip of it. “Well, I had to jump at the chance,” he replied. “You were finally free to date.”

“So were you,” she pointed out. “Every time I was free you were with someone and vice versa.”

“Well, now you’re mine and I’m not about to give you up,” he swore to her.

Donna took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers. “When Superman came to see me, he didn’t just come to tell me Bruce had proof that Diana was alive,” she tentatively revealed. “He also asked me if I’d be willing to take Diana’s place with the Founders…just until she came back.”

“Wow…really?” he muttered in shock.

“Yah, but I don’t know what to do,” she acknowledged. “I can’t bear the thought of taking Diana’s spot, but then again, it is only temporary. I’d give her the position back to her as soon as she was able to retake it.”

“That’s huge,” he agreed. “You’re the perfect choice to fill her shoes, Troia.”

“Yah, but to sit with the Founders and make decisions that could affect the League…the whole world,” she said, her voice trailing off as she thought about the ramifications. “That’s a lot of responsibility. I’m not sure I’m up for all of that.”

“If anyone can do it, it would be you, Donna,” he assured her. “I can’t think of anyone in the League more qualified than you.”

“You’re biased, though,” she pointed out with an impish grin. “You’re only saying that to ensure I’ll still sleep with you.”

Dick laughed. “No, I’m not,” he tried to tell her. I’m saying it because it’s true.”

“If you say so,” she teased.

Dick stood to his feet, his towel loosening around his waist. “Come on…let’s eat. I’m starving.”

With a sly grin on her face, Donna reached out and ripped the towel off from around his waist. Dick whipped around to see her standing there with a lustful gleam in her eye and his towel hooked on her forefinger. “Much better,” she murmured more to herself than him as she fully admired the view.

Dick smirked as he put his hands on his hips, fully displaying his nudity. “We should eat before the food gets cold.”

“I’m hungry for you instead,” she decided as she stalked straight towards him. “The food can wait. I can’t.”

Dick slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her in for a heated kiss. “I guess we could reheat the fajitas when we’re done.”

“I like that idea,” she agreed as she tilted her head to kiss him once more, her hands finding his backside and squeezing.

He groaned deeply as she nibbled on his bottom lip, squeezing his backside again and making him forget there was food on his counter waiting for them. His hunger for food quickly shifted to the woman that he was quickly undressing in his living room.

Picking her up and carrying her to his bed, he wondered if fajitas would be any good for breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: UGH! I love both my Bruce's! I really feel for Diana.
> 
> UP NEXT: AU Bruce has an unexpected visitor, Diana comes to a decision, and MU Bruce enlists some additional outside help in his search for Diana.
> 
> Loving your reviews! You guys are awesome! So appreciate your support for my fic even though it's not my typical Wonderbat story. This one isn't going to be as long as my others fics. I'll be starting Family Crisis as soon as I'm done with this one. :)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**_Wayne Manor (AU)_ **

Bruce entered the kitchen from the back patio, rubbing his hands on his jeans. He’d just finished tending to the horses, something that he’d loved doing since he was a young boy. It was a task that he’d refused to relinquish to anyone despite Alfred’s numerous offers to higher it out.

He was hoping to take Diana out to see the horses. She’d been spending so much time in the manor that it was worrisome to him. She’d been here for five months, sleeping in his bed for the last two months, and yet she was still having difficulty fully adjusting to being here at times.

He could hardly blame her, though. This wasn’t truly her home no matter how hard he tried to make it that way for her. He knew she was feeling torn between the two worlds between the one that she had been brought into and had known her whole life in a tug-of-war with the one she found herself in now.

“Horses are all tended to?” Alfred asked.

“They are,” he informed him. “Where’s Diana? I was hoping to take her for a horse ride.”

“She’s down in the cave doing research,” Dick informed him with a scowl as he filched another cookie from the tray Alfred had just taken out of the oven.

Bruce couldn’t help but notice Dick’s disapproving expression. “You don’t think that she should try to find a way home?” he questioned his brother.

“Truthfully…no,” he decided, pausing to take a bite of his cookie before continuing. “I think she should just accept the fact that this is her home now and let it go at that.”

Bruce frowned in disagreement. “Dick, this isn’t really her home,” he reminded him. “Her friends and family are back in her universe.”

“I know, but we’re her family now,” Dick pointed out, huffing in annoyance. “Look, Bruce, I know you’re in love with her and you want what’s best for her, but maybe we are what’s best for her now. Maybe this is the place that she is supposed to be. Maybe she was brought into your life for a reason.”

“I can’t argue with that because I want her to stay here forever too,” Bruce stated. “At the same time, I feel like she still needs to try. I won’t be the reason that she doesn’t find a way home. If I stand in her way, she’ll only end up resenting me and that’s the last thing that I want to happen.”

Dick sighed as his shoulders sank in defeat. “I don’t want that either,” he agreed. “I’m just really worried about you, Bruce. I don’t want to see you get hurt. You’ve already been through so much with Talia. I don’t want to see you get your heart broken again.”

Bruce placed a hand on Dick’s shoulder, gripping it affectionately. “I appreciate that, Dick, but I know what I’m doing,” he attempted to reassure him. “I’m going into this relationship with my eyes wide open. I know that she could be gone tomorrow, transported back home by her friends in the League. I also know that she could be here forever. I’m prepared to accept whatever time I have with her because I love her that much.”

“That is very understanding and perceptive of you, Master Bruce,” Alfred interjected. “I’m simply pleased to see you so content and happy once again. It’s quite obvious that Miss Diana is the reason behind it. She seems to be as charmed with you as you are with her.”

“What’s not to love, right bro?” Dick teased, elbowing him with a sly grin. “We Wayne men know how to sweep women off their feet.”

“Speaking of which, how’s Barbara?” Bruce inquired.

“Good,” Dick replied with a nod. “I keep meaning to invite her over for dinner, but we’ve been busy getting caught up.”

“Yah…caught up,” Bruce said with a roll of his eyes. “Is that what young people are calling it these days?”

“Hey, I was gone for a whole year, remember?”

“How could I forget?” Bruce retorted. “I had a sobbing Barbara on my doorstep the day after you left Gotham.”

Dick rubbed the back of his neck, guilt rising inside of him. “Yah, I probably didn’t handle that as well as I could have.”

“You think?” Bruce stated with an annoyed frown.

Dick glanced at Alfred, the two men sharing a look. “I think there is something that I should tell you,” he said.

Bruce’s brow furrowed, wondering what was going on. He had a sinking feeling that he wasn’t going to like it at all. “What is it?”

“Talia stopped by while you were out in the stables,” Dick revealed.

Bruce immediately froze with the unexpected news. “What did she want?”

“She wanted to let you know she was back in Gotham,” he told him. “Not sure if she’s still with that guy or not, but I told her you didn’t want to see her anymore.”

“What did she say?”

“She took it better than I thought,” he replied. “Of course, I didn’t let her into the house so she couldn’t get her hands on anything to use as a weapon.”

“Talia is a lot of things, but violent isn’t one of them.”

“You didn’t really want to see her, did you?”

“No, not at all,” he confirmed with a scowl. “I’m happy now with Diana. I don’t want anyone else but her.”

“That’s also what I told her,” Dick informed him with a mischievous grin. “That part she didn’t take too well, but I don’t think she’s going to cause you any trouble.”

“I guess we’ll see,” he murmured, lost in thought.

“Dinner will be ready in two hours, Master Bruce,” Alfred told him. “If you wish to take Miss Diana for a ride, I suggest you go soon.”

“Thank you, Alfred,” Bruce said as he exited the kitchen.

He made his way to the library and down into the cave, his thoughts running wild. He couldn’t help wondering what exactly Talia had wanted by showing up here at the manor after all this time. It had been nearly a year and a half since she ran off with another man, leaving him with his heart and an engagement ring in his hand.

Whatever she wanted with him; it was far too late. He’d buried the past and had moved with Diana. He never wanted to go back to the way things had been when he’d been with Talia. Even the best times that he’d had Talia couldn’t begin to compare to what he now shared with Diana.

Walking through the cave, he spotted Diana sitting before the bank of computer screens that he’d created. Her raven hair was pulled back into a ponytail, her brow creased in concentration. He wasn’t even certain that she knew that he was there.

He had to admit to a certain level of guilt as he silently closed the distance between them. He knew deep down that he hadn’t been working as hard as he probably could to help her try to find a way home. His gaze momentarily roamed over his countless inventions, making him wonder if he had what it took to make a device to send her back home. He hadn’t really tried to find out, mostly because he was afraid of the answer.

While he wanted to help Diana find a way back home, knowing that would make her happy, there was still a part of him that selfishly wanted her to stay here with him. He had never been so happy in his life since she had dropped into it. Everything around him had come alive since she had entered his life. He feared what his life would become after she left.

“Any luck?” he asked, trying to ignore the way his heart was trying to inch its ways up into his throat.

“Not much,” she replied with a sigh, turning her chair to face him.

Bruce took a chair near her before capturing her hand in his as he sat close to her. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I wish there was something I could do to help you.”

“I know,” she murmured with a forced smile. “I’m glad you’re here. I need to talk to you.”

Bruce felt his heart trying to find his throat once more. “What is it? Is everything okay?”

“Well, I think so,” she cryptically replied. “I’ve come to a decision and I want to know what you think about it.”

“What is it, Diana?”

“You know I’ve been hesitant about contacting the Justice Association,” she explained. “I was worried about bringing unwanted attention to you and your family, but I think I need to try to see what they can offer.”

Bruce tucked away his sorrow, knowing that she needed to do this. She wasn’t doing this to hurt him or to try to get away from him. He knew that she had to try this or her mind would never be settled. “Whatever you want to do, you have my complete support.”

“I know,” she said with a smile, squeezing his hand. “You are an amazing man, Bruce. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

“You would’ve found a way, Diana,” he told her, gazing at her with love and amazement in his eyes. “You’re so strong…you’re a fighter. I’m just so glad that I found you.”

She leaned in and kissed him, her hand caressing his cheek. “I love you,” she softly said. “I know this hasn’t been easy for you, but I just have to do this. I have to know that I’ve tried everything before I finally decide to stop searching for a way home.”

“You’re really going to give up?” he asked, stunned.

“Not give up…just accept facts,” she corrected him. “I’m going to see what the Justice Association has to offer. If they are unable to help me, then I’m going to stop for now. Maybe something will come up in the future, but right now, there doesn’t seem to be any options.”

Bruce could hardly believe what he was hearing. He felt great sadness for her and yet he couldn’t help the feeling of relief that flooded him. “I just want whatever makes you happy,” he told her.

“I know and I love you for that,” she replied. “I know you feel as torn about it all as I do. This hasn’t been easy for either of us.”

“Don’t worry about me,” he insisted. “You are all that is important.”

She pursed her lips as she stood to her feet, inserting herself between his legs. She lightly ran her fingers through his hair as she gazed down at him, her lips beginning to curl into a smile of warmth and affection. “You are so very important to me,” she assured him. “That is why I’m going to accept that this is my new home if the JA can’t help me.”

“I don’t want you to give up your dream of returning home just for me, Diana,” he said with a frown.

“I’m not,” she maintained. “I’m doing it for us.”

“I still can’t believe that you’re really mine,” he softly said, his hands finding her thighs and slowly moving up to cup her backside. “Sometimes, I’m afraid this is nothing more than a fantastic dream…one that I’m going to wake up from some day. If it is, I don’t ever want to wake up.”

She grinned down at him, cradling his face in her hands. “It’s no dream,” she reassured him. “I’m really here and I’m going to stay here with you for as long as the gods see fit for me to be in this world.”

“I’m sorry, Diana, but I’m praying it’s forever,” he admitted.

“I know and it’s okay,” she told him. “I’d be hurt if you wanted me to leave.”

Bruce pulled her down into his lap, his arms wrapping possessively around her as he held her to him. “Never,” he answered her with a kiss.

Diana tilted her head as he kissed her with a passion that always lit something deep inside of her. She found she wanted him all over again, never growing tired of the feel of his muscular body pressed against the length of hers or the feel of him driving so incessantly and deeply within her core.

This feeling was intoxicating…sweeping her up in a wild spiral of love and passion that she never wanted to escape from. Still, she couldn’t keep the Bruce from her world from intruding on the outer fringes of her mind, constantly wanting to interfere in the happiness that she had found here…making her wonder if she had truly done the right thing by giving herself to the Bruce of this world.

Would her Bruce ever understand if she returned to her world? Would he hate her for giving herself to another man…a man that wasn’t him?

Once again, she reminded herself that he had turned her away, ignoring her subtle advances. He’d taken great joy in their flirtatious moments, their banter that held undercurrents of a sensual nature and unspoken desire. Yet, he had refused to allow it to go any further than that. He had made the choice for himself…made the decision for the both of them whether she liked or not.

Now, as Bruce kissed her, she was making the choice for herself and she wasn’t going to regret one second of it.

**_Gotham (MU)_ **

Batman sat perched as still and as silent as the gargoyles around him on the ledge of a roof, his scrutinizing gaze not missing a single thing as he studied the streets below. He had forced himself to leave the project in his cave to patrol his city, knowing he needed to get out and clear his head a little.

He was having difficulty thinking of anything other than Diana. He hadn’t been able to go into Wayne Enterprises since Diana vanished nearly two weeks ago. He knew that he needed to make an appearance at the office, but it had been more than difficult forcing himself to go in. Lucius had been covering for him, calling him with updates when necessary. That would have to be sufficient for now. He had more important things to worry about.

He watched as a couple walked along the sidewalk below holding hands and sharing kisses. His heart ached with longing for the woman that he had let slip through his fingers, knowing that he may have lost his chance with her forever. He refused to believe that he would never see her again. That hope was what helped to keep him going when he just wanted to shut completely down.

Batman glanced at the carving next to him, his lips quirking slightly at the sight of the gargoyle with the crushed head. He remembered it as if it had just happened yesterday. He had recited that ridiculous list of reasons why he and Diana couldn’t be together as if it had been an agenda for a business meeting.

Looking back at it now, he didn’t know why he thought Diana would ever buy his reasoning. It had sounded rehearsed even to him, revealing just how much he’d actually been thinking about her and the possibilities of trying to make a relationship work with her.

The only thing that had saved him that night from further discussion or argument had been the museum alarm being set off and Circe’s appearance. The smirk she had given him as she had walked away humming “Am I Blue” had told him more than enough.

She knew that he felt something for her, but she hadn’t pushed him. She was too proud to push him and yet too stubborn to give up on him. Instead, she had patiently waited for him, being his friend and giving him the space that he needed to make the choice for himself.

She’d flirted with him, their playful banter and her presence letting him know she was still there waiting on him. He had known deep down that her patience would eventually run out, but he’d never imagined that she would be taken away from him.

Now, he was left here alone, wondering where she was and what she was doing, kicking himself for not going after what he’d wanted most. Now wasn’t the time to brood and sulk over past mistakes and poor decisions. All he could do now was keep searching for her until he got her back.

“You called.”

Batman didn’t turn around or even acknowledge his presence as he continued to stare at the streets below. He’d known he was coming for a while before he actually made his presence known. The smell of his Silk Cut cigarettes gave him away long before he’d finally come to a stop beside him.

“Glad you got my message,” Batman stated without looking at him.

“Kind of hard to miss when you send Zatanna looking for me,” Constantine revealed, puffing on his cigarette. “She said it was especially important…that I needed to drop everything and come immediately. So, what’s up?”

“Wonder Woman is missing,” he told him.

“No, she’s dead,” Constantine corrected him. “Don’t tell me you want me to resurrect her because that’s a little beyond my expertise. I mean I could try summoning her spirit, but even that—”

“Diana is not dead,” Batman heatedly interrupted him, his voice broking no room for argument. He was not in the mood to explain himself. He’d been doing it for everyone else lately who had refused to believe him, and he wasn’t about to explain himself again.

“Whoa…excuse me?” John questioned him. “Is this one of your paranoia-induced delusions where you want to believe that she’s alive and not just a pile of ashes? Because we all know how well you deal with death of someone close to you.”

Batman’s jaw instantly set like steel, the muscle in his cheek ticking with the tension and frustration that teemed inside of him. “I have proof Diana is alive,” he hissed, his fists clenching and unclenching. “Now, are you going to help me or not?”

John puffed on his cigarette for a long moment as he gazed out over the city skyline backlit by the moon. “Fine…I’ll bite,” he conceded. “If she’s not dead, then, where is she? What happened to her?”

Batman finally straightened up to his full imposing height, crossing his arms against his Kevlar covered chest. “She was transported to another dimension…a different universe,” he told him.

Constantine turned to face him; disbelief etched in his face as he dropped his cigarette butt. He used the heel of his shoe to crush it into the rooftop. “You’re serious.”

“Dead,” Batman flatly stated.

“Which dimension did she get transported to?”

“I have no idea,” he revealed with the first sign of weariness as he sighed heavily. “I have someone searching universes trying to locate her, but it’s going to take an eternity to find her. I was hoping there was something you could do to speed things up.”

“Well, I can open a portal to a dimension, but that is very time consuming as well,” he grimly informed him. “You realize there could be an infinite number of realities, right?”

“I’m well aware,” he snapped, not wanting to hear about how the odds were vastly against them. He needed someone to give him a little bit of hope right now.

“I’m think you’re going to have to narrow it down a bit, my friend,” Constantine told him.

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Batman growled under his breath.

“I’ll do whatever I can to help but I’m going to need to know what universe I’m going to,” he informed him. “I can’t just be opening portals willy-nilly. It could open up a whole can of worms and cause more trouble than you’ve already got. It’s not a one-way portal. Anything could come out of that universe and into our own. You could be borrowing more trouble.”

Batman huffed in overt frustration as his chin dropped. “Damn it,” he growled. “There has got to be a better way to find her and get her home.”

“Hey, look…I’ll see what I can do,” Constantine told him. “I can’t promise you anything but let me see if there’s anything I can come up with to help you get her back.”

Batman tilted his head slightly, glancing at him askance. “You think you might be able to?”

Constantine shrugged his shoulders as he pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his coat pocket. “Yah…sure,” he replied. “Maybe Zatanna and I can put our heads together and come up with something.”

“Is Zatanna actually talking to you?” he asked with a grunt of amusement.

“Well, not technically which is why I was so surprised that she contacted me in the first place,” he admitted, pausing to blow the smoke from his cigarette into the air. “I’m hoping that for your sake she’ll make an exception and actually speak to me.”

“I thought she told you to—”

Constantine held up a hand to silence him, not needing to hear those painful words again. “She did,” he interrupted him, visibly grimacing with the reminder. “But I’m not giving up hope of a reconciliation.”

“So, you’re going to use Diana’s disappearance as a means to repair your defunct relationship with Zatanna?”

John turned his head to give him a devious smirk. “Hey, sometimes you have to use all the ace’s up your sleeve, friend.”

Bruce didn’t like it, but at the same time, if it meant getting Diana back sooner than he wasn’t going to argue the fact. “All I care about is getting Diana back. What happens between you and Zatanna is of no consequence to me, but if you hurt her, you’ll have to answer to me.”

“You know if she heard you say that you’d be in quite a lot of trouble,” John reminded him.

“I know,” he conceded. “That’s why it stays between us.”

John studied the Dark Knight for a long moment. “Diana means a lot to you, doesn’t she?”

Batman didn’t answer, instead staring straight ahead. “Just see what you can do about finding her.”

Constantine’s lips quirked ever so slightly at the corners, knowing he wasn’t going to get any more out of him. He didn’t have to say anymore. He could tell that Diana meant everything to him. He had to admit he couldn’t say just how far he’d go in order to find Zatanna if something had happened to her.

While things were rocky between them right now to say the least, he still loved her. There wasn’t anything that he wouldn’t do for her which was why he’d responded the moment she had contacted him requesting his assistance for Batman.

“You know those things are going to kill you,” Batman said as John puffed on the last of his cigarette.

“Could be,” he muttered with a shrug, giving him a cocky smile. “I’ve always loved to live dangerously.”

“There’s dangerous and then there’s just plain stupid,” he stated.

“It’s a fine line, my friend,” John responded, clapping him on the back. “A very fine line. I’ll be in touch.”

Batman didn’t utter a word as Constantine left him standing there all alone, his thoughts far from Gotham. Diana had always lingered there in the outer recesses of his mind, staying on the periphery and invading his thoughts when he least expected it.

Now, she was constantly consuming his thoughts, making him wonder where she was and what was happening to her at that moment. He hoped that she was at least happy and not hurt or in danger. He couldn’t bear the idea of her being in trouble and not being able to get to her. That thought nearly took his legs out from under him.

“Do you think he’ll be able to find her faster than Lord Batman?”

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” Batman stated without turning around, the ends of his cape lifting in the wind that had suddenly seemed to come out of nowhere.

Red Robin came to stand next to him, his arms folding against his chest in a mirror image of his father-figure and mentor. “I hope they can find her soon,” he replied. “The world almost seems darker without her in it.”

Batman snorted in agreement, deciding truer words had never been spoken. He had noticed it too…couldn’t help but feel how much colder, how much darker the world felt without her presence in it. It felt as if the world had been drained of all color, leaving a black and white canvas behind.

“How’s the transporter coming?” he asked.

“Slow, but sure,” Batman said. “If I can’t get it built by the time Justice Lord Batman finds her, I’m going to have Constantine open a portal to drag her out.”

“Didn’t he say that would be dangerous?” Tim questioned him.

“It could be, but we don’t really have a choice,” he ultimately decided. “We’ll just have to be ready for anything if something tries to escape that universe along with Diana.”

“I just hope she’s okay,” Tim said with a sigh.

“Me too,” Batman murmured as he suddenly shot his grappling gun and took off into the night, leaving Tim standing there all alone without another word.

Red Robin just shook his head with a sigh, drawing his own grappling gun. “Never one for conversation,” he muttered to himself as he too disappeared into the night.

**_Watchtower (MU)_ **

Flash poked at his dinner with his fork, knowing he needed to eat something, but not really feeling like it. He missed his friend greatly, wishing she were here eating lunch with him like she sometimes did. It was something that he looked forward to but now she was gone, and she wasn’t coming back.

“Hey, buddy,” John said as he set his tray down across from him before taking a seat. “How are you holding up?”

“Okay I guess,” he murmured without looking up.

“I know…I miss her too,” John told him.

“It sucks,” Wally groused, slamming his fork down on the table. “She should be here with us now, eating lunch and laughing at my corny jokes and listening to me tell her about my recent date.”

“Yah, it’s definitely not the same around here,” he agreed. “No one seems to smile much or laugh up here anymore. It’s like there’s a black cloud hanging over all of us now.”

“You never realize how much someone means to you until they’re gone,” Wally softly said, folding his arms against his chest as he stared at his uneaten lunch.

“I know what you mean,” John replied, his thoughts centered on a certain Thanagarian who had just entered the commissary. “You don’t know how short life can be. We go out on missions all the time assuming that that we’ll come back home safe and sound, making plans for tomorrow but sometimes tomorrow never comes. We live extremely dangerous lives and there are bad guys out there who don’t want us to make it home.”

“I wish we could find Grodd and make him pay for what he did to Wondy,” Flash grumbled. “It’s not fair that she’s dead and he’s out there running around free.”

“We’ll get him,” John reassured him. “He may think he’s gotten away with it, but we’ll find him, and we’ll make him pay for taking Diana from us.”

“I get the first swing at him,” Shayera said as she set her tray down next to John before sliding into her chair. The scowl on her face was threatening and more than a little scary. “That gorilla thinks he can take out a member of the Justice League and not have to answer for it? He’s going to find out just how wrong he is when he meets my mace.”

“I have a feeling you’ll have to get in line,” John told her.

Flash nodded his head with a frown. “Like behind Supes and Bats,” he agreed. “They’re going to want to take a swing at him. You’ll be lucky if there’s anything left of him.”

“We need to take down the whole Secret Society,” John added. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s all their fault that Diana was killed.”

“Agreed,” Shayera said. “We need to hunt each and every one of them down.”

“Well, we had four of them make an appearance in Metropolis yesterday and we weren’t able to capture any of them,” John stated.

“You have to admit we’ve got to be extra careful when confronting them,” Wally commented. “Who knows how many of those ray thingy’s they have. Until we know, we’ve got to hang back a bit until we know more.”

“Care if I join you?” Superman asked as he approached their table.

“Feel free,” Shayera muttered. “Just don’t expect any of us to be in a very good mood.”

Superman sighed to himself, wishing he could tell them that Diana was alive. Bruce would have his head if he told them. Still, it might not hurt to give them a little hope. “You know Batman still believes Diana is alive,” he mentioned as he sat down with his tray.

All three heroes turned to look at him with varying degrees of disbelief. “He’s still not convinced that she’s gone?” John asked.

“Not at all,” Superman confessed. “You know he won’t give up until he’s found her no matter where she is.”

“Wait,” Shayera uttered suspiciously as she stared at the Man of Steel. “Do you know something you’re not telling us?”

Superman attempted to school his features. He couldn’t tell them no matter how badly he wanted to. “I’m just saying that Batman still believes that she is alive,” he told them. “He’s still doing research and testing his theory that she was transported to another universe.”

“Wondy is alive?” Wally asked, perking up with the thought.

“I didn’t say that,” Clark maintained. “I’m only repeating what Batman told me.”

“Has he found proof?” Shayera demanded to know.

“Yah, does he know something?” Wally questioned him.

“You know something,” John astutely observed, his dark eyes narrowing. “Spill it.”

Superman looked at each of his friend’s faces, knowing he was sunk. There was no way he could lie to them now. “Batman thinks he found proof that Diana might be alive,” he revealed, keeping his voice low. “I don’t know how true it is which is why I haven’t said anything yet.”

Wally threw his arms around Superman, hugging him. “Thank you, Supes,” he said. “You have no idea what this means to me to know there’s a chance we’ll get Wondy back.”

“I don’t want any of you saying anything to anyone else about this,” Superman firmly stated. “This stays between the Founders only.”

All three heroes turned a threatening glare on Flash who looked at them like a deer caught in headlights. “What?” he asked with utter innocence. “I can keep a secret.”

John shook his head with a frown as he stared at his friend. “Wally, you keep a secret as long as you can keep food from entering your mouth.”

“Yah, Wal,” Shayera agreed. “You have the fastest mouth in the universe.”

“For Wondy, I’d keep this secret,” Flash solemnly swore.

“Batman is working with the Batman from the Justice Lords universe to see if they can locate her,” Superman quietly informed them.

“What?” Flash yelled, causing several heroes in the comm to turn and look at him.

“He’s working with Lord Batman?” Shayera whispered in stunned disbelief. “Can he really be trusted?”

“Batman thinks he can,” Clark replied.

“Hey, he can work with Darkseid for all I care if it helps him find Wondy and bring her back,” Wally said.

“I hope he knows what he’s doing,” John muttered.

“Me too,” Clark agreed, looking down at his plate of food only to find he had no appetite. “I’d hate to see what this does to him if he’s wrong.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm working on Chp 15 now! I can't wait for you to see where this is going. It's a rocky road, but well worth Bruce and Diana's growing pains to get them to where we want them! Love you all for sticking with me through this fic. It's been a great growing experience for me as a writer. :)
> 
> UP NEXT: Bruce and Diana get some unexpected news and Diana meets with the Justice Association.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**_Wayne Manor (AU)_ **

“Thank you, Superman,” Diana replied as she stared at the spitting image of her best friend and yet she didn’t know this man at all. “I appreciate you agreeing to meet with me.”

“I’ll meet you in Metropolis this afternoon at the Metro Tower,” he told her with a smile. “We’ll see what we can do to help you.”

“I really welcome any help,” she said. “I’ve been trying to find a way home for months now. Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.”

“No problem,” he responded with a nod. “We’re more than happy to help a fellow Justice member.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”

She ended the transmission, sitting back in her seat. She felt a sense of relief knowing that Superman was going to see what he and the Justice Association could do to assist her. She couldn’t help wondering if she should have contacted them sooner, but she had feared bringing attention to Bruce and his family. She didn’t know this universe he lived in…who could be trusted and who couldn’t.

In addition to her own research, she’d been carefully following the Justice Association to find out how they operated and if they were truly a force for good. Bruce had sworn to her they were, but she needed to find out for herself. Bruce wasn’t a part of the League and wouldn’t know what went on behind the scenes.

After her encounter with the Justice Lords, she had grown leery about trusting anyone on face value.

The biggest shock since being in this universe was the fact that the Joker was the vigilante savior of Gotham, fighting crime and righting wrongs. That was something she could not get used to no matter how many articles she read about his good deeds.

Diana placed her hand on her stomach, momentarily closing her eyes with the wave of nausea that assaulted her. The lightheadedness that accompanied it didn’t help in the least. This was the third day in a row of feeling off, making her worried about what the cause could be.

Getting to her feet, she decided she didn’t want to think about the possible cause for her nausea and lightheadedness. The possibilities made her nervous…well, one possible cause made her extremely nervous, one that she wasn’t certain she was prepared to deal with.

Entering the manor, she was immediately assaulted with the smell of frying bacon. She ran out of the library, past Bruce, and into a nearby bathroom. Bruce quickly followed her, tapping on the door as the sounds of her vomiting let him know how she was doing at that moment.

“Diana? Are you okay?” he asked, growing concerned. She hadn’t felt well the last couple of days, and it was beginning to worry him.

Diana leaned her forehead on the lid of the toilet as she flushed it. “I’m all right,” she called, her stomach still roiling.

“You don’t sound okay,” he told her as he finished tying his tie. “I think you should stop by Leslie’s clinic today to make sure.”

“It’s probably just the flu or something,” she tried to reassure him as she splashed water on her face before rinsing her mouth out. Drying her face, she finally emerged from the bathroom to find Bruce standing in the hallway with a worried expression.

“Were you ever sick before?”

“No,” she replied with a shake of her head. “I never got sick because of my special gifts and healing abilities.”

“Well, you don’t have them here,” he pointed out. “Maybe you caught something.”

“Maybe,” she thoughtfully replied as she drew a shaky breath, her hand coming to rest against her stomach.

Bruce kissed her on the forehead. “You don’t feel warm,” he told her. “Why don’t I have Alfred take you to see Leslie before dropping me off at work?”

“No,” she said. “I don’t want to make you late for work. I can go after he takes you to work. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

He frowned in response, not liking this in the least. “Fine, but I want you to call me as soon as you leave the clinic.”

“I will,” she promised him as they made their way to the kitchen.

“Still feeling under the weather, Miss Diana?” Alfred asked as they took their seats at the table.

“I’m afraid so,” she revealed, taking the cup of tea Alfred gave her. “Thank you.”

“How about some toast this morning?” he suggested.

“That’s about all I want at this point.”

“Alfred, would you take Diana to see Leslie after dropping me off at work this morning?”

“I’d be happy to, sir,” Alfred assured him.

“Call me the second you know anything,” Bruce reminded them.

“I’ll take good care of her,” Alfred said.

“Um, I can take care of myself,” Diana reminded them, picking up a piece of toast. “I’m not an invalid and I’m not dying.”

“Don’t say that,” Bruce stated with a frown.

Diana reached across the table, placing her hand on top of his. “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I’m sure it’s just the flu.”

“I’m going with you to see Leslie,” Bruce readily decided. “I’m not going to be able to work until I know what’s wrong.”

“If you want to, but I’m telling you that you’re worrying for no reason,” she tried to tell him.

“Who’s worrying for no reason?” Dick asked as he walked into the kitchen, grabbing a piece of toast off the plate in the middle of the table before sliding into his seat. “It wouldn’t be my big brother, would it? He never worries about anything.”

Bruce shot him glare as he took a sip of his coffee, not appreciating his brother’s sarcasm. “Diana is sick,” he revealed.

“Still not feeling well, huh?”

“No,” she confessed with a sigh as she wrapped her hands around her cup of tea. “I’m sure it’ll pass, but Bruce wants me to see Leslie just in case.”

“Probably not a bad idea,” Dick agreed.

“I was hoping you’d take my side,” Diana told him with a glare.

“Sorry, Di,” Dick replied. “We all love you and want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I appreciate that,” she relented, “but I’ll telling you, you’re all worrying for nothing.”

**_Gotham (AU)_ **

“Bruce, stop pacing,” Diana told him. “You’re going to wear a path in the carpet.”

“Sorry,” he murmured, his hands in his pants’ pockets as he leaned his back against the wall. “It’s just that I’m worried. You look pale. I don’t like seeing you sick.”

“I don’t like being sick,” she told him, her lips quirking in amusement. “I’ve never been sick a day in my life. I have to say it’s a little disconcerting.”

“I can’t imagine never being sick,” he thoughtfully replied.

“I guess I took it for granted,” she said. “You don’t realize how blessed you are until it’s gone.”

“I’m sorry, Diana,” he told her as he moved to sit beside her. “I’m sure it’s been hard for you not having your gifts. I didn’t realize what an adjustment that must be for you.”

She took his hand, entwining her fingers with his and laying their joined hands in her lap. “It’s a little perplexing at times,” she admitted, her lips curling as she gazed at him. “But it hasn’t been all bad.”

He leaned in and kissed her sweetly. “It’s been beyond amazing,” he murmured.

Leslie entered at that moment, focused on Diana’s chart in her hand. “How are you doing, Diana?” she asked. “Feeling any better with the nausea medication I gave you?”

“Yes…much better,” she revealed.

“Is it just the flu?” Bruce asked.

“No, actually it’s a lot more,” Leslie said, a smile forming on her face. “You’re pregnant, Diana.”

Bruce and Diana sat there in shock as they attempted to absorb the unexpected news. Diana felt her stomach sink with dread and yet her heart seemed to have taken flight. It was something that she had wanted for some time now, but for it to happen now was startling to say the least.

“Pregnant?” Bruce repeated as he turned to look at Diana. “We’re having a baby?”

“You are,” Leslie confirmed. “You’re about five weeks along.”

Diana turned to look at Bruce, fearing his reaction. She herself didn’t know for sure how she felt about it. Was this something that Bruce even wanted? “We’re going to have a baby,” he murmured, taking her into his arms. “I can’t believe it.”

“You’ll have to be set up for routine visits and ultrasounds,” Leslie informed them. “We can do that before you leave. I’ll also get you something for the nausea and vomiting, but I’ll give you two a few minutes alone right now.”

Bruce buried his face in her hair, holding her tightly. “How do you feel about it?” he asked as he finally retreated.

“I…I don’t know,” she admitted, biting at her bottom lip as tears filled her eyes. “I mean I’ve always wanted to have a baby, but this is really going to complicate things.”

Bruce felt his heart clench, knowing what she was referring to. His expression fell as he looked down at her hands in his. “If you don’t want this baby…”

The pain in his voice was more than she could begin to bear, her arms slipping around him and pulling him to her. “No, Bruce, I want this baby more than anything,” she quickly explained. “It’s just that this makes things that much more difficult…for us.”

Bruce pulled back, taking her face in his hands. “No, it doesn’t have to,” he told her. “We’ll take it one day at a time. If you find a way home, I’ll won’t be happy about it, but I’ll still support your decision if you want to leave.”

“You would do that?” she questioned him. “You’d let me return to my universe with your child? Bruce, that’s insane. I couldn’t just take your child away from you.”

“If that was what you wanted, then yes, I’d let you go,” he confirmed. “I won’t force you to stay where you don’t want to be, Diana. That would only make you miserable. You’ll end up hating me in the end and that’s the last thing that I want. Let’s not worry about it until we have to.”

“You are so compassionate and selfless,” she softly said, her heart hurting with the thought of leaving him. At the same time, the thought of never seeing her Bruce again hurt just as much. How in the world had she fallen in love with two men…two men who were essentially the same and yet different?

“Diana, I love you,” he told her, pressing his lips to hers. “There’s nothing that I wouldn’t do for you.”

“I love you too,” she whispered as she kissed him again.

“Alfred is going to be over the moon,” Bruce said with a chuckle. “He’s been dying for the next generation of Wayne’s to occupy the manor.”

Diana chuckled softly as a tear slipped down her cheek. “I just can’t believe it,” she softly said.

“Are you sure you’re happy about this…that this is something you want?” he asked her, needing her to be sure. “I know I’m probably not the Bruce that you wanted to have…”

Diana silenced him with a heated kiss that left them both breathless before finally pressing her forehead against his. “Don’t ever say that,” she firmly stated with a breathy air. “I love you, Bruce. I chose to be with you…to share my heart and my body with you. We made this baby because we love each other, and I refuse to give it up for any reason.”

Bruce gave her a blinding smile as he dipped his head to kiss her again. “You have no idea what that means to me,” he softly replied. “I’ve never been so happy in my entire life and it’s all because of you.”

She slowly shook her head as she caressed his cheek. “And you have no idea what that means to me.”

“Let’s go home,” he suggested, standing to his feet and offering her his hand.

“Don’t you have to go to work?” she asked as she took his hand and stood to her feet.

“There’s no way I can work today,” he revealed with a grin. “We’ve got too much to do—plans to make, a nursery to furnish, names to pick out.”

Diana chuckled as she followed him out of the exam room. “Bruce, I’m only five weeks along,” she reminded him. “We have eight months to go. I think we have plenty of time.”

“I’m too excited,” he told her. “If it’s a girl, I want to name her Jacinda…call her Jacey for short.”

“You already have the name picked out?” she asked with a laugh.

“She was my cousin,” he admitted, his expression growing solemn. “We were always close growing up. She died three years ago in a drowning accident.”

“I’m so sorry, Bruce,” she replied, pulling him to a stop to find tears in his eyes. “I love the name. It’s perfect. Just be prepared it could be a boy.”

“It’s a girl,” he told her with a grin. “I just know it.”

**_Wayne Manor (AU)_ **

Alfred entered the kitchen to start lunch, mildly annoyed and anxious. “So, are you two going to tell me how the appointment went with Leslie or are you going to make me guess?” he asked, turning to face two of his favorite people.

“Diana and I are going to have a baby,” Bruce revealed, beaming from ear to ear.

“My heavens!” Alfred exclaimed. “Are you serious? You wouldn’t be trying to play a trick on an old’s heart, would you?”

“No, I’m definitely pregnant,” Diana assured him.

Alfred immediately pulled Diana into a hug before embracing Bruce. “I’m so happy for both of you,” he told them. “This requires a celebration. I’m going all out with a feast tonight to celebrate.”

“Alfred, you don’t have to go to all that trouble,” Diana tried to tell him.

“Don’t even try to dissuade him,” Bruce told her. “Once his mind is set, there’s no changing it.”

“I’m afraid I must insist, Miss Diana,” Alfred stated. “I won’t have it any other way.”

“Have Dick invite Barbara tonight,” Bruce suggested.

“Excellent idea,” the British butler agreed.

“I’m anxious to meet her,” Diana agreed. “I wonder if she’s at all like the Barbara I know.”

“Is your Barbara with Dick?” Bruce asked.

“I think they dated for a while, but Dick tends to have a wandering eye,” she revealed. “He’s grown up a lot since then, though. He’s dating my sister Donna now.”

“I didn’t know you had a sister,” he said as they sat down at the table in the kitchen while Alfred prepared lunch.

Diana felt overwhelming loneliness blossom in her chest. It nearly took her breath away. “Yes, Donna Troy,” she replied. “I miss her so much.”

“I’m sure you do,” he told her. “I really missed Dick when he was gone for the last year travelling the world.”

“Donna and I share a piece of the same soul,” she revealed. “Donna was dying and the only way to save her was to give her a piece of my soul. Now, we can feel what each other is feeling.”

“That’s amazing,” he replied in awe. “Can you feel her now?”

Diana shook her head sadly, her throat contracting with anguish. “No, I’m too far away from her,” she softly admitted. “I can’t feel her at all. It’s a very strange feeling. She’s been a part of me for so long and now I just feel this…this emptiness where she used to be.”

Bruce got up and made his way around to the other side of the table, sitting down in the chair beside her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him. “I can’t imagine how painful that must be.”

“I’m sure you felt something similar when Jacey or your parents died,” she reminded him.

“Yes, but your sister is alive,” he pointed out. “You just can’t reach her. That almost seems worse somehow.”

Diana laid her head on his shoulder, tears stinging her eyes. “You would absolutely love her,” she said, her voice filled with affection. “She has a free spirit that is quite infectious. She would be so excited to find out that she was going to be an aunt.”

“I hope I get to meet her someday,” he told her as he stroked her hair.

“I do too,” she agreed, glancing at the clock on the wall. “I need to eat so I can meet Superman at the Metro Tower.”

“What time are you meeting him?” he asked.

“Two o’clock,” she confirmed.

“I’ll go with you.”

“You don’t have to,” she tried to tell him, but she’d already learned that trying to talk him out of something his mind was set on was an impossible feat. It seemed a stubborn streak was another trait both Bruce’s shared.

“I want to,” he insisted. “I was going to take this afternoon off anyway to go with you. I just got sidetracked with the whole baby news.”

“We’ll have to pick out a room for the nursery,” Alfred injected as he placed their lunch on the table.

“The room right next to ours,” Bruce decided. “We’ll have to pick out paint samples to paint the room and get furniture.”

Diana chuckled as she stared at her lover in stunned disbelief. “Bruce, we have plenty of time,” she reminded him. “Besides, we don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl yet. Leslie said we won’t know for several weeks when she does the ultrasound.”

“I’m not going to be able to wait that long,” Bruce uttered with a groan. “Doesn’t matter, though. I know it’s a girl.”

“I don’t know how you could know that,” she insisted.

“Just a feeling I have,” he said with a shrug of his shoulder.

“Ah, a little girl would be so sweet to have around the manor,” Alfred added.

“It would be nice,” Bruce said.

“After having two boys running around here, I’m ready for a little girl,” Alfred told them.

“I just don’t want you two to get your hopes up that it’s a girl,” she warned them. “It could very well be a boy.”

“We will love the baby no matter what the sex is,” Alfred assured her.

“Absolutely,” Bruce agreed, “because our baby will have the best mother in the world.”

“Her father isn’t too bad either,” she told him.

“And her grandfather will be her favorite,” Alfred decided with a proud grin.

**_Metropolis (AU)_ **

“Wow…” Diana muttered as she stared in awe at the Metro Tower looming so large before them.

“What is it?” Bruce asked.

“It looks almost identical to our Metro Tower,” she revealed.

“Really?” he said. “I’ve passed it a few times, but I’ve never been inside before. I’m anxious to see what it’s like.”

“Have you ever met any of the League members?” she asked as they walked towards the front entrance.

“Once,” he admitted. “I met Hawkwoman during a bank robbery. She was amazing.”

Diana had a difficult time processing the fact Bruce was in the middle of bank robbery and didn’t do anything about it. She was so used to the Bruce in her universe reacting to a crime, jumping directly into the middle of the firestorm without a second thought, without thinking of himself. It was strange to know a version of Bruce who wasn’t a superhero, who allowed others to save him in dangerous situations.

She didn’t think any less of this Bruce. In fact, she knew him to be a very generous man who cared deeply about those around him. He helped others through different channels that didn’t include risking his life every single day. It was an aspect of the other Bruce that she didn’t see as often, a side he tried to keep hidden, but she knew existed nonetheless.

Entering through the main doors of the Metro Tower, Diana wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Flash standing there waiting for them. “Welcome,” he cheerfully greeted them. 

“Hi, I’m Diana,” she replied, shaking his hand. “This is Bruce—”

“Bruce Wayne,” Flash interrupted her, shaking his hand vigorously. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir. You’ve done so much good for Gotham and the world.”

“Thank you,” Bruce said, clearly touched by Flash’s praise. “I’m the one who is honored to meet you.”

“Nonsense,” Flash replied with a wave of his hand as he began to lead them to the conference room. “You do just as much good without a costume and a superhero name.”

Diana frowned to herself as she tried to decide if this was Barry Allen or Wally West. They sounded similar, making her wonder which one she was talking to. As Flash continued to talk, she ultimately decided it was Barry Allen under the red mask, leaving her to wonder where Wally was. Her heart sank with the thought of no Wally in this world.

“Superman asked me to meet you here and take you to the conference room,” Flash revealed. “He had to take care of an unexpected situation, but he should be here any minute.”

“It’s all right,” Diana reassured him. “I’m just thankful that you agreed to meet with me.”

“Hey, anything for a fellow Leaguer,” he told her. “I always knew there were multiple universes, but I’d never actually met anyone from a different world. I’m anxious to hear your story. It’s really fascinating.”

“It’s definitely fascinating,” she agreed.

“I can only imagine the differences,” Flash continued. “Do you have a Flash in your world?”

“Yes, we do,” she confirmed, unwilling to reveal any more than that. She wasn’t about to divulge any secret identities or more information than was necessary about her world. She didn’t want to take any chances.

“Don’t worry,” Flash said. “I’m not going to ask names or anything. I wouldn’t want any identities to be revealed.”

“I appreciate that,” she replied as they entered the conference room. “My friends are very dear to me and I wouldn’t want to compromise them in any way.”

“I can understand that,” he told her. “Please, have a seat. Would either of you like a drink?”

“I’ll take a glass of water if you wouldn’t mind,” Diana requested.

“Nothing for me,” Bruce responded as he took a seat next to Diana.

“I’ll be right back,” Flash said, reappearing in a second with a bottle of water for Diana.

“Thank you,” she murmured, taking the water. “Who else will be joining us?”

“Hope you don’t mind if I join you,” Martian Manhunter answered her question as he strode into the room.

Diana smiled fondly at J’onn, her spirits lifting at the sight of her dear friend. “I would love to have you join us, J’onn.”

J’onn smiled slightly in return as he took a seat across the table from her. “I believe Mister Terrific and Cyborg will also be joining us. Superman wanted to know their thoughts on the matter.”

“Any help would be welcomed,” she agreed.

J’onn’s eyes glowed orange for a moment before returning to normal. “I sense a second soul inside of you,” he told her. “You are with child.”

“Yes, I am,” she confirmed with a faint blush as Bruce took her hand under the table in a silent show of support.

“Congratulations,” he replied as he glanced at Bruce. “Are you certain that you want to leave this world now that you are pregnant?”

“I’m just finding out what my options are,” she asserted. “I’m not making any decisions until then.”

“I understand,” he said with a nod.

“Sorry I’m late,” Superman apologized as he rushed into the room followed by Cyborg and Mister Terrific. “Little emergency I had to handle.”

“No problem,” Diana reassured him. “I understand how that happens.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Wonder Woman,” Superman greeted her, shaking her hand before taking a seat by J’onn. 

“Please, call me Diana,” she insisted.

“Will do, Diana,” he responded, turning his attention to the man sitting beside her. “Bruce Wayne…it’s nice to meet you too.”

“Thank you for meeting with us,” Bruce said.

“We’re eager to help if we can,” the Man of Steel told them. “Why don’t you start at the beginning, Diana.”

Diana carefully explained the fight against members of the Secret Society, not wanting to leave any details out that might prove helpful. She tried to describe the weapon that Grodd had used on her, but it was difficult because it had all happened so fast. She’d been forced to react at a moment’s notice.

She told them how she had been enveloped in a bright blue light only to find herself on the west coast in this new universe to find the date completely different from her world. It had taken her a week to get to Gotham, hoping that Bruce would be able to help her.

“So, in your world, Bruce Wayne is someone of great importance to you?” Superman questioned her.

Diana could feel Bruce’s eyes on her, but she answered truthfully. “Yes, in my world, Bruce is a close friend and valuable ally of the Justice League,” she confirmed, not wanting to give any more information about him.

Before she had arrived, she had purposefully blocked Batman from her thoughts, knowing that J’onn would read her mind in order to confirm her story. She didn’t want to give away Bruce’s secret identity or compromise him in any way. She had sworn to keep his secret and she would take it to her grave.

“When I found Diana, she was badly injured,” Bruce added, trying to help take the focus off his doppelgänger. “I took her to my home to recover and see what I could do to help her.”

“I’ve been doing research on your world and on any possible way to return to my universe,” she continued.

“Have you tried contacting Dr. Emil Hamilton at all?” Superman asked.

“I wanted to, but I was hesitant to do so,” she confessed. “In my world, Dr. Hamilton was a close friend of Superman, but then he betrayed him. I wasn’t certain if your Dr. Hamilton was trustworthy or not.”

“Smart move,” Cyborg said with a nod. “I would’ve been wary too.”

“Well, he hasn’t betrayed me in any way…at least not yet,” Superman replied with a frown, a sense of wariness rising within him about his friend. “I can reach out to him if you’d like. I won’t mention you by name, but I can talk to him to see if it’s something that can actually be done.”

“Have you ever encountered anything like this before?” Bruce asked.

“I have to say this is a first that we know of,” Mister Terrific replied, rubbing his chin.

“You’ve never been transported to another universe?” she questioned them.

“No, never,” Superman confirmed.

“I’ve heard theories about transportation between universes,” Cyborg revealed. “Even if we were able to build some sort of a transportation machine, the problem remains that there is an infinite number of universes. The possibility of finding your universe is going to be next to impossible.”

Diana’s shoulder fell slightly with the thought of never seeing her friends and family again. She’d never see her Bruce again…see that little quirk at the corner of his mouth when he tried to suppress a smile when he teased her or hear that deep, rasping growl of his.

She fought back tears as Cyborg and Mister Terrific discussed various possibilities, her chest growing tight with fear. She’d never see Donna, her sisters, or her mother again…never spend time with her friends in the League or Princess Audrey. The life that she had known before was gone.

She felt Bruce squeeze her hand beneath the table, providing her the comfort that she so desperately needed at that moment. She turned to look into his eyes, finding nothing but love and compassion there. She could see how badly he hurt for her. It only seemed to make her love him even more.

He was putting aside his own desire for her to stay here in this world with him for her greater good, willing to sacrifice what he obviously wanted most of all for her happiness. She’d never known such a self-sacrificing man until she’d met Bruce and it had definitely carried through to the Bruce of this universe as well.

“It’ll be okay,” he softly reassured her.

She gave him a tender smile, tightening her hold on his hand in response. She knew without a single doubt that she never would’ve gotten through this without him. Maybe it was time to accept the new life that she had been given…the life that she had wanted with the Bruce in her universe…the life that he had denied them both.

She knew in her heart she wasn’t settling for second best nor was she turning her back on the Bruce from her world. She was accepting what life had given her—a second chance at a new love. Because of that love, she was carrying their child. The thought warmed her heart and brought immense joy.

“Would you mind if we did some research of our own?” Superman asked. “We’d like to explore options.”

“We’d also like to determine the risks not only to you but to our world be trying to transport you back to your dimension,” Mister Terrific added.

“I completely understand,” Diana replied as she stood to her feet along with Bruce. “I just want to make sure that I know what options there are before I make any decisions. If there is no way to return to my universe, I’m fully prepared to make a life here in your world.”

“Don’t give up hope yet,” Superman told her. “I can’t make any promises, but I can tell you that we will do what we can to help you as long as it isn’t detrimental to our world.”

“I agree,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to do anything to compromise your world in any way.”

“I’ll see you out,” Flash offered, walking behind them.

Bruce took Diana’s hand in his as they walked towards the front entrance. He was anxious to talk to her and make sure she was all right. He could tell it had been a disappointing blow. He could hardly blame her. The thought of never seeing Dick and Alfred or his friends again was a devastating thought.

“Thank you, Flash,” Diana said as they left.

“Don’t worry, Diana,” he told her. “We’ll do everything we can to help you.”

“I can’t thank you enough,” she replied with a forced smile.

Exiting the Metro Tower into the sunlight, Bruce pulled her to a stop by a bench, wanting her to sit with him. “Are you okay?” he asked her.

Diana drew a deep breath, releasing it slowly before responding. “It’s hard,” she confessed, her forehead creasing thoughtfully. “I feel torn between two worlds. I miss my home and my family and friends. I want to return home, but I love you and I don’t want to leave you. I guess I want the best of both worlds.”

Bruce wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he kissed her temple. “I know this has been very hard for you.”

“Well, it’s in the hands of the Justice Association now,” she said, forcing a smile in an attempt to reassure him. “If they are unable to help me, then I’m afraid you’re going to be stuck with me.”

Bruce couldn’t help but chuckle in response, pulling her into a kiss. “Stuck isn’t quite the word that I would use,” he told her. “I’d be thrilled to be stuck with you, though.”

“I’d be thrilled to be stuck with you too,” she said, sharing a sweet kiss.

“Come on,” he murmured as he stood to his feet. “Let’s go home and see what Alfred prepared for our special celebration dinner.”

“I wonder how Dick will react to the unexpected news that he’s going to be an uncle,” she wondered.

“Knowing him, he’ll be ecstatic,” Bruce assured her as they made their way to his car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Wow! Who would want to leave the AU Bruce?? He's a dream come true! LOL!
> 
> UP NEXT: Tim confronts Bruce while AU Dick finds out he's going to be an uncle. Will he be happy about it? :)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

**_Wayne Manor (MU)_ ** __

_“Bruce, don’t run ahead now!”_

_“Sorry, mom,” he called back over his shoulder, using his poster as a sword. “You will fear me!”_

_Thomas shook his head with a chuckle as he looped his arm with his wife’s. “That boy definitely has your spirit and energy.”_

_“And he has your brains,” she added with a proud grin. “You know he’s going to be a brilliant surgeon someday.”_

_“Or attorney,” he suggested._

_“Maybe even a famous scientist,” she decided. “Maybe he’ll discover the cure for cancer.”_

_“Wouldn’t that be amazing?”_

_“I’m going to be a great hero like Zorro!” an eight-year-old Bruce excitedly exclaimed, raising his fake sword high in the air. “I’m going to protect people from evil!”_

_“Or he’s going to be an actor,” Thomas said with a chuckle._

_“We have a wonderful son,” she replied with a contented sigh. “He’s going to be amazing no matter what he decides to do.”_

_Thomas smiled fondly at their son. “I couldn’t agree more, Martha.”_

_“Hold it right there!”_

_Martha and Thomas Wayne froze with the unexpected voice that had emerged from the shadows of the alley. Martha automatically reached out for Bruce, desperate to pull him safely behind her, but the thug with the gun wouldn’t allow it._

_“Give me your money!”_

_“You can have all of it,” Thomas told him. “Just please don’t hurt my family.”_

_“Don’t tell me what to do!” he yelled, pointing his gun at him._

_Bruce shrunk back, trying to disappear into the shadows as fear clawed at his throat. His blue eyes were wide as he watched his father try to reason with the robber, but it only seemed to further agitate him. He needed to do something. He had to stop this, but his feet remained planted where he stood._

_He couldn’t watch and yet he couldn’t look away. His eyes grew wider as the gun fired. Shots rang out as first his father and then his mother dropped to the ground before him, her string of pearls breaking and rolling across the concrete. He stared into his mother’s face as blood trickled from her mouth, her eyes wide with horror._

_“Bruce…” she whispered his name, a haunting sound that would live with him for as long as there was breath in his lungs._

_“No!” he screamed, rushing to their sides only to fall to his knees between them._

_He didn’t even notice the shooter running away, didn’t hear the sound of his boots hitting the pavement as Bruce sobbed uncontrollably. He should have done something…should have tried to save them. Why couldn’t he be like his hero Zorro and save them?_

_If he’d done something, then they would still be here with him, not lying dead in an alley and leaving him an orphan._

_Bruce lifted his head to find himself as an adult. He was still on his knees in that very same alley, but now he was dressed in his Batman uniform. He watched as the fight with the Secret Society played out before him. He observed with undisguised respect and admiration as Diana did battle with her typical grace and strength. She was such an amazing sight to behold as she took on Giganta._

_He felt his heart suddenly leap into his throat as he spotted Gorilla Grodd pulling a weapon and pointing it directly at Diana. He screamed her name, but there was too much going on around them, making it more than difficult for her to hear him._

_Diana finished off Giganta, taking a moment to wrap up her lasso. She abruptly dropped it just in time to turn her attention towards Grodd. He tried to run towards her, but his legs wouldn’t obey. He tried to scream her name again, but his voice wouldn’t work. His body felt like it was no longer his own, forced to witness what was about to come._

_Once again, he was desperate to look away, but found that he couldn’t. He stared in horror as Grodd fired his weapon directly at Diana, the Amazon princess immediately raising her bracers to block the blast that came straight at her. A bright blue flash of light completely enveloped her and the area surrounding her._

_Panic sliced through him as sure as a knife’s blade as the blue light dissipated to reveal that Diana was no longer there, her lasso lying there on the ground where she should have been. His entire body trembled as he struggled to catch his breath, his gauntleted hands fisting at his sides beneath his cape._

_He hung his head as overwhelming anguish washed over him unlike anything he’d felt since the day he lost his parents. He once again lost the most important person in the world to him…the very woman that he loved but had refused to admit his feelings for because he thought they had time…because he thought it would be too dangerous for her to be with him._

_Turns out it didn’t matter if she was with him or not. He’d still lost her regardless of his fears._

_She was gone and she had no idea how he truly felt about her, without knowing her touch or feeling the heat of her kisses. He missed out on so much that he could have had with her…could have shared with her. He’d never hear her say the words that he had longed to hear from her._

_Everything shifted, the dream starting all over again—his parents, the poster and pearls, the thug with the gun. He began to yell, refusing to be put through this nightmare all over again. Hadn’t he been through enough without having to relive it all once more?_

“Bruce…Bruce…”

Bruce jerked awake, breathing hard as he looked around to find himself still in the cave at his work desk. He tried to shake off the dread that still clung to him like a death shroud as he looked up into the concerned face of Tim. He leaned over, rubbing his face with his hands as he tried to shake off the fatigue that refused to leave him.

“Are you all right?” Tim asked, sitting down next to him.

“I’m fine,” he stated, burying the tumultuous storm of emotions that teemed inside of him.

“You didn’t sound fine,” he pressed. “You were yelling Diana’s name.”

“It’s nothing,” Bruce tried to brush it off, straightening up and turning his attention to the transportation machine he was building.

He huffed in frustration as he stared at it. He was making progress, but the process was slow and tedious and more than a little infuriating knowing that Diana needed him, and he couldn’t get to her. He couldn’t bring her home even if they did locate her unless he had Constantine open a portal and pull her out.

Wherever she was, he just hoped that she was safe and happy. That was what he wanted most for her…always had despite his feelings for her and desire for her to be with him.

“Bruce, you need to give yourself a break,” Tim told him. “You’ve been pushing yourself almost nonstop since Diana disappeared. You need to get some real sleep, not sleep at your work desk.”

“I got some sleep last night,” Bruce responded, picking up a tool.

“Four hours doesn’t count as real sleep,” Tim retorted, refusing to back down on this. “Either let me help you or—”

“Or what?” Bruce growled as he shot his partner a glare. “There’s nothing you could possibly do to make me feel any worse than I already do so just let me do this.”

“You know I can help you,” Tim pushed. “Let me work on the computer programming while you work on building the machine. We’ll get this thing done in no time.”

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose as he squeezed his eyes closed against the migraine building in his head. He knew that if he had help, he might be able to cut the time in half. As much as he wanted to do this himself, he knew he was going to have to accept some assistance.

“Fine,” he finally relented with a weary sigh. “You can help with the computer programming.”

“Good,” Tim said as he stood to his feet. “We can get started on it after we’ve had some sleep and some breakfast.”

“I don’t need—”

“Don’t even go there,” Tim interrupted him as he held up a hand. “You’ve been about as pleasant as a pissed off python since Diana disappeared. Get some sleep and we’ll tackle it after that.”

“You go ahead,” Bruce told him with a frown as he began to work on the machine. “I’m going to work on this a little bit longer before heading to bed.”

“You need to get some sleep, Bruce,” Tim argued. “The chances of Lord Batman contacting you today saying he found are slim at best.”

“I know, but I have to do this.”

“Why? Why are you killing yourself over this?” Tim demanded to know. “I know you’re in love with her, but there’s something more, isn’t there? What is it?”

Bruce shot to his feet, fury gleaming in his eyes. “You want to know?” he growled. “I’ll tell you. It’s because Diana and I had a fight on the Watchtower before we beamed down to take on the Secret Society. She asked me to go a charity event with her and I turned her down. We ended up arguing and I said some things…things that I can’t take back…things that I’ll never forgive myself for. I have to get her back so I can tell her how sorry I am…and how much I love her.”

Tim stared at him, taken aback by the amount of anger and guilt that was simmering inside of him not to mention the fact that he’d just opened up about it. He’d had no idea how much emotion he’d been struggling to reconcile. It was no wonder he was killing himself to find her and get her back.

“I’m sure Diana knows that you didn’t mean it,” Tim attempted to comfort him. Unfortunately, it fell on deaf ears.

“I don’t think she does,” Bruce insisted. “She didn’t know it, but she picked the worst possible time to ask me. I was ready to unleash on anyone who crossed my path. I know I hurt her.”

“Diana is the most forgiving and compassionate person I’ve ever known,” he reminded him. “I’m sure she’s already forgiven you and forgotten about it.”

“You don’t know that for sure,” he muttered.

“Fine,” Tim said with a huff of annoyance. “Kill yourself to get her back. Then, you still won’t be able to talk to her and tell her how you feel.”

Bruce just sat there as Tim stalked away, leaving him all alone in the cave. He hung his head, hating himself knowing how much he had hurt her. He had to find her soon so he could tell her how sorry he was and how deeply he truly loved her.

He didn’t know how he was going to be able to live with himself if he never got the chance or never saw her again.

**_Wayne Manor (AU)_ **

“Are you sure that Dick will be excited about the baby?” Diana asked, clearly worried about the announcement they would be making soon.

“Diana, you worry too much,” Bruce told her, kissing her cheek as he moved past her. “He’ll be very happy for us.”

“I hope so,” she murmured, biting at her bottom lip.

“What makes you think he won’t be excited about it?”

“He didn’t seem to be all that thrilled when he found out we were sleeping together and I moved into your bedroom,” she pointed out.

“And I told him that what happens between you and me is our business and no one else’s concern,” he revealed as he finished buttoning his shirt. “He was just worried about me getting hurt if you returned home, but I assured him I knew what I was getting in to.”

“I just don’t want to break your heart,” she replied, her blue eyes softening with the love she felt for him. “You’re an amazing man, Bruce. I don’t want to end up hurting you.”

He made his way towards her, wrapping his arms around her. “I’m not going to lie to you and tell you this is easy for me,” he revealed. “I’d love for you to stay here with me until we’re both old and gray, but I knew what I signed up for by falling in love with a beautiful dimension travelling superhero slash Amazon warrior from another world.”

Diana chuckled with his description of her. “Believe me when I say I’d love nothing more than to stay here with you forever, but I have to try to get home,” she softly said as she buried herself in his comforting embrace. “Once I know for sure that I’ve exhausted all avenues, I’ll accept this life I’ve been given. I hope you can understand that.”

“I do understand,” he maintained. “I want you to be absolutely sure about this. I don’t want to force you into something that you don’t want.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to be here with you, but I left so much behind in my world,” she tried to tell him with a sigh. “It’s just so hard to explain. It’s like there’s this constant war going on in my heart about where I want to be or need to be.”

“Too bad we can’t find a way to bridge your world and mine so you could travel back and forth,” he thoughtfully said.

“That would be the best of both worlds,” she agreed, her thoughts taking her to the Bruce she had left behind. 

Despite how cruel Bruce had been during their last argument, her heart still ached with how much she missed him. He was never far from her thoughts despite how happy she felt being here with this Bruce. She never would’ve guessed that she would find herself in love with two men let alone the same man but from two different universes. How in Hera had she gotten herself into a such a mess?

“Let’s go downstairs,” Bruce suggested. “Dick will be here with Barbara soon.”

“I’m anxious to see if this Barbara is anything like mine.”

“Well, she’s studying to become a lawyer last I heard,” he informed her. “Not sure if that has changed at all over the last year that Dick has been gone.”

Dick and Barbara entered through the front door as Bruce and Diana descended the stairs. “Hey, guys,” Dick greeted them with a wide grin, holding hands with a red head who looked identical to the Barbara Diana knew except this Barbara’s hair was shoulder length.

“Hi, you must be Diana,” Barbara said, extending her hand. “I’m Barbara.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Diana replied as she shook her hand.

“Bruce, it’s so good to see you again,” Barbara said as she hugged him.

“It’s been too long, Rara,” he agreed. 

“I haven’t heard that nickname in so long,” she responded with a giggle.

“You should have visited over the last year,” Bruce told her, elbowing his brother in the ribs. “I don’t know why you took this guy back, but I’m glad you did.”

“Gee, thanks a lot, big brother,” Dick muttered with a scowl. “I can’t help it if Barbara finds me irresistible.”

‘Um, I don’t think that’s the way it went,” Barbara corrected him, giving him an annoyed look. “I believe you begged me to give you a second chance. There might have been a couple of tears involved too along with some kneeling.”

Dick gave her a sheepish glance, unable to argue the fact. “It still worked,” he claimed. “You gave me a second chance.”

Barbara rolled her eyes as they made their way to the library. “Only because you looked so pathetic on your knees like that.”

“Ouch,” Dick responded, his hand covering his heart. Deciding he needed a change of topic before things became even more humiliating, he turned to his older brother. “So, what’s this big surprise you want to tell us about? Did you finally find a way home for Diana?”

“Well, we wanted to let you know that you’re going to be an uncle,” Bruce revealed with an excited grin. “Diana is pregnant.”

“Congratulations!” Barbara cried, immediately pulling Bruce and then Diana into a hug. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank you, Barbara,” Diana replied.

Bruce looked to his brother to find him standing there behind Barbara. The disapproving expression on his face and the anger in his eyes stunned him. “Dick?” he said. “Aren’t you excited for us?”

“No…no, I’m not,” Dick flatly stated as he pushed past Bruce before stalking out of the library.

Diana felt her heart sink as she glanced at Bruce. He appeared completely blindsided by his brother’s reaction to the news, sucking all the happiness out of the room. She placed her hand on his forearm, squeezing it in an effort to comfort him.

“Bruce…” she began.

“I’m going to go talk to him,” he told her, leaning in and kissing her softly. “Don’t worry. It’ll be all right. I’ll be right back.”

Diana nodded as Bruce quickly exited the room, feeling as though she had just caused a major rift in the brothers’ relationship. For the first time since coming to this dimension, she felt as though she shouldn’t be here at the manor. She didn’t belong in this home. She had disrupted this family’s life, turning it upside down.

What had she done?

Staying here had been a huge mistake. She should’ve left soon after waking up in the manor. She knew that it had been dangerous falling for Bruce, and she had been right. He had been so accepting and supportive of her decisions, agreeing to help her return to her world even though it meant leaving him behind. In the end, she was going to break his heart. How could she do that to him?

Barbara took Diana’s hand in hers, noticing the tears that filled her eyes. “Come, sit with me,” she suggested, gently pulling her towards the couch.

“I should never have stayed here,” Diana murmured as she sat down next to Barbara. “As soon as I knew I was falling for Bruce, I should’ve left…and now…now I’m carrying his baby. What in the name of Hera was I thinking? This was never going to work out. We were doomed from the very beginning.”

“You don’t know that, Diana,” Barbara attempted to comfort her. “From what Dick has told me, Bruce has never been happier. You have completely turned his world around for the better. That was all you and no one else.”

“I can’t help but feel as though I’ve made things worse in the end,” she insisted as she shook her head. “I’m just so confused right now.”

“I honestly believe that there is no such thing as an accident. There’s a reason for everything that happens in life,” Barbara told her. “You were brought to our world for a reason even if it is for a short time. It’s more than obvious that Bruce is head over heels in love with you. It’s almost like he’s floating ten feet off the ground. I’ve never seen him like that before.”

Diana wiped her eyes, her heart hurting for the pain that she had caused. Trying to find Bruce had been the biggest mistake she could’ve made. “And now I’m carrying his baby,” she murmured. “How can I possibly return to my world and take his child away from him? I was selfish for sleeping with Bruce…not considering the consequences of my actions.”

“Have you found a way home yet?”

“No,” she replied. “The Justice Association is looking for some way to help me, but they’re my last hope. If they can’t help me, then there’s nothing more that can be done. This is my new life.”

“I’m sorry, Diana,” she said. “That must be horribly difficult for you knowing all that you left behind.”

“I just feel so lost,” she confessed. “Half my heart is in the world I came from and half my heart is here with Bruce. I’ve never felt so torn between two worlds…between two lives.”

“Don’t worry,” Barbara told her. “I’m sure everything will work out. Bruce and Dick are really close. I promise you Dick will come around.”

“I can’t bear the thought of coming between them,” Diana admitted. “I never meant to hurt anyone. That was never my intention in coming here.”

“I know that and I’m sure Dick does too,” she responded. “Just let Bruce talk to him. He’ll get it worked out.”

“I hope so,” she murmured as she glanced at the doorway of the library.

XXX

“Dick!” Bruce called as he jogged to catch up to him. “What is wrong with you?”

Dick stopped short, turning on his heel to glare at his brother. “What’s wrong with me?” he asked, shocked. “What’s wrong with you, Bruce?”

“What do you mean?”

“You get Diana pregnant and you’re asking what’s wrong with me?” Dick ground out with a scowl. “Bruce, she’s from another universe. She doesn’t belong here. She’s going to leave someday with your child.”

“How do you know that she doesn’t belong here?” Bruce demanded to know. “Maybe she was brought here for a reason. Maybe this is her new home now.”

“Maybe…a lot of maybe’s,” Dick heatedly pointed out. “Maybe she’ll find a way home tomorrow and take your child with her. What are you going to do then? Are you going to let her go or are you going to go with her?”

Bruce crossed his arms defiantly against his chest as he averted his eyes. “I’ll deal with it,” he insisted.

“Really? Like you dealt with Talia running off with another man?” Dick questioned him. “Alfred told me you were a walking zombie. You hid in that damned cave of yours for months on end, barely coming leaving the manor except for work.”

“I was distraught after what Talia did to me, but then I met Diana, and everything just seemed so right,” he confessed. “The world around me came alive and was full of color again. Don’t you want me to be happy?”

Dick closed the distance between them, his hands gripping his upper arms. “Of course, I want you to be happy…more than anything in this world, but I can’t watch you get hurt again,” he told him. “You have the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever known, Bruce. You just feel so deeply and love so freely. I just don’t want to see your heart get broken again.”

“I know what I’m getting into with Diana and I’m willing to take the risk,” he tried to tell him. “I know it’s going to be difficult if she leaves, but I’d rather have a few months than not have anything at all with her.”

Dick slowly shook his head as he studied his brother. “You always did have mom’s enormous heart,” he replied, releasing a frustrated sigh. “I just hope you know what you’re doing, bro.”

“Actually, I don’t,” he admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I have no idea what I’ll do if she leaves. I’m just following my heart and hoping for the best.”

“You know I’ll always be here for you and support you no matter what,” he replied. “I just don’t like seeing you get hurt and I’m really worried Diana is going to do that to you.”

“You know Diana isn’t the enemy,” he reminded him. “We really do love each other.”

“I know you do, and I know Diana is not the enemy,” Dick said with a chuckle. “I’ve been forced to watch you two these last few months, remember? Between the kissing and the looks you two give each other, I’m about to turn on a hose on you.”

“Come on,” Bruce retorted with a roll of his blue eyes. “We’re not that bad.”

“Seriously?” Dick countered. “You and Diana are worse than mom and dad ever were.”

“They were pretty starry-eyed with each other, weren’t they?”

“You and Diana are in definite danger of surpassing them,” he warned him. “You’re bordering on saccharine overdose.”

“We are not mushy like they were,” Bruce stated. “Mom and dad were cute, though.”

“Yah, it was nice knowing they were so in love and not embarrassed to show it.”

“Are we okay now?”

Dick embraced his brother, clapping him on the back. “Of course, we’re okay,” he reassured him. “And I don’t hate Diana. I love her like a sister. I just hope that things work out for you two. I worry about you.”

“I’m older than you,” Bruce reminded him. “I’m the one who should be worried about you.”

“Me?” Dick scoffed with a cocky grin. “I’m not the one who wears my heart on my sleeve. I’ve got it all together.”

“Yes, you just had to grovel on your knees to get your ex-girlfriend back,” Bruce pointed out with a frown.

“Okay, we’re not going to mention that ever again, right?”

“Whatever you say,” Bruce muttered as he turned to head back to the library.

“I’m serious, Bruce,” Dick said as he followed him. “I will bribe you to keep you quiet if I have to.”

“I’ll have to remember that.”

“I’m so screwed,” Dick murmured to himself as they walked towards the library to find Diana coming out, Barbara tagging along behind her.

“Bruce, I need to leave,” Diana told him, trying to hold back the tears that were intent on falling.

“What?” he said, stunned by her words. “Diana, you can’t leave.”

“I won’t come between you and your brother,” she insisted.

“Diana, you’re not going anywhere,” Dick swore.

“This is all my fault,” she replied. “I should have left a long time ago, but I kept telling myself that nothing was going to happen between me and Bruce. The truth is I was selfish. I fell in love with him and instead of leaving to make sure he didn’t get hurt, I stayed despite knowing how complicated things could become for all of us.”

Bruce took her hand in his hand, not about to let her go anytime soon. “Diana, I could have asked you to leave, but I didn’t want you to because I was falling in love with you too. I knew how complicated and messy things could be, but I didn’t care. All I wanted was you for however long I could have with you.”

“They are so adorable!” Barbara cried, tears brimming in her eyes.

“Diana, I’m really sorry,” Dick apologized. “I really am happy for you two. I’m just worried about Bruce. He’s been hurt so badly in the past. I just can’t stand to see him hurt like that again.”

“I understand,” she replied as she looked at him. “Hurting either of you is the last thing I ever wanted to do.”

“I know,” Dick assured her. “I was just a little shocked by the news. I really hope that everything works out for you two.”

“We’ll just have to see where life takes us,” Bruce told him. “We’ll take this one day at a time and enjoy every moment of it that we’re given.”

Diana swallowed hard, trying to stifle the tears, but unfortunately, her hormones were already toying with her. She couldn’t believe how much alike both Bruce’s were and yet so different. This Bruce wanted to seize every moment and opportunity that presented itself to him. Her other Bruce shied away from any risks involving the heart, choosing rather to avoid any complications in his life to avoid getting hurt again.

Bruce swiftly drew her into a fierce embrace, burying his face in her raven hair. “Everything will be okay, Diana,” he attempted to reassure her.

She wanted to believe him more than anything in this world. For some reason, she just had a gut feeling that told her otherwise. “I hope you’re right,” she whispered.

“Aren’t they the cutest?” Barbara asked Dick, wrapping her arms around his arm and laying her head on his shoulder.

“I guess they are pretty sweet together,” Dick agreed with a grin. “Hey, does this mean I get to be the kid’s godfather?”

“I can’t think of anyone better suited,” Bruce replied with a smile as he held the woman that he loved.

“I agree,” Diana added as she pulled out of Bruce’s arms. “I think you’d be perfect.”

“Well, now that that business is settled, I believe it’s time for a celebratory dinner,” Alfred announced. “Dinner is served in the dining room.”

“I’m starving,” Dick said as he led Barbara to the dining room.

Bruce grabbed hold of Diana’s arms, keeping her with him. “Are we okay now?” he asked, worry permeating his eyes as he studied her.

Diana nodded her head, a forced smile on her lips. “We’re fine,” she tried to assure him.

“I don’t want to wake up one morning to find you ran away from me,” he admitted. “It’s one thing to know you found a way home. It’s another thing altogether different to know you left me to live in another part of my world.”

“I won’t do that to you, Bruce,” she swore to him, sealing her promise with a kiss.

“Good,” he breathed, taking her hand as they headed towards the dining room to join the others.

“So, have you thought up any baby names yet?” Dick as they took their seats.

“We just found out,” Diana reminded him.

“But if it’s a girl, I asked Diana if we could name her Jacinda,” Bruce revealed as Alfred served the dinner.

Dick nodded his head, his expression growing solemn. “Jacey would’ve loved that, Bruce.”

“I think it’s a beautiful name,” Diana replied.

“I wish you could’ve known her,” Dick told her. “She was so fun-loving and outgoing.”

“She was a real firecracker,” Bruce agreed. “She got us into more trouble over the years.”

“We were the three amigos,” Dick added with a laugh.

“I wish I could’ve met her,” Barbara said.

“Me too,” Dick murmured, a distant look in his eye as coveted memories flooded his mind.

“How did she pass?” Diana asked.

“She was killed by a drunk driver,” Bruce softly said. “She’d just gotten her driver’s license that day. She was so excited. She was on her way over here to pick me and Dick up to go to the movies in her brand-new car when she was hit head-on by a drunk. She died instantly.”

“I’m so sorry,” Diana said.

“It was just so unfair,” Dick replied with a shake of his head.

“So, any ideas on a name for a boy?” Barbara asked, knowing they needed to change the subject for everyone’s sake.

“No,” Diana admitted. “We’re just trying to adjust to the fact we’re having a baby. We won’t know if it’s a boy or girl for several more weeks.”

“We’ll have to go shopping for maternity and baby clothes,” Barbara excitedly said. “This is going to be so much fun.”

Diana cast a glance at Bruce, the excitement on his face unmistakable. It was more than obvious how thrilled he was with the baby they were going to have. It warmed her heart and yet could feel it sinking, wondering just how long they would actually have together.

Would they raise their daughter together…watch her grow up and get married one day? Would they have more children, possibly growing old together?

She felt as though her very soul was being torn in two, half of her here with Bruce…the other half of her back in her own world with the first man that she had ever fallen in love with. What would he say if he knew that she was pregnant with another man’s child? Would he hate her? Never want to see her again?

The words that he’d said to her in the midst of their heated argument still rang in her ears and tore at her heart. Still, she couldn’t deny the love she felt for him or how much she longed to see him again. He would forever hold her heart despite another man possessing her body.

She smiled as Bruce, Dick and Barbara laughing as they retold a story from their childhood, trying to sweep away thoughts of her first love. He’d made his decision quite clear when it came to the two of them. It had been his choice to make.

Now, she’d made hers and she wasn’t going to regret it no matter what the future held for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, things are trucking along for now, but don't get used to it. Big changes are coming.
> 
> UP NEXT: Bruce gets an unexpected message while Diana gets some good news and some not so good news. :)


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

**_Batcave (MU)_ **

“This program is ingenious,” Tim uttered in astonishment. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”

“That’s why we’re having to build everything from scratch,” Bruce stated as he tightened a bolt.

“No wonder this was taking you so long to build,” he replied. “This is so complex and intricate and that’s conservatively speaking.”

“I have to admit that I’m relieved to have your help,” Bruce confessed as he paused to stretch the kinks out of his neck. “It’ll hopefully cut down on time that we don’t have.”

“Have you heard anymore from Lord Batman yet?”

“No,” he said, pausing to guzzle a bottle of water. “If I don’t hear from him soon, I’m going to contact him.”

“I hope he has some good news for us,” Tim said.

“I know,” Bruce muttered, not wanting to discuss it.

The nightmares had been coming every time he closed his eyes, intermingling with sweet dreams of a life lived with her. Those particular dreams filled him with unspeakable peace and contentment. Unfortunately, those feelings always disappeared the moment he woke only to be replaced with overwhelming loneliness and desperate longing that couldn’t be met until he’d finally found her.

He didn’t know how he was going to survive not having her in his life, but he knew that he only had himself to blame for the way things had been left between them before she vanished. She had every right to hate him and he had no right to assume that she would forgive him or even want him when he got her back.

He could only hope and pray that Diana would give him a chance. He just wanted the opportunity to talk to her, to tell her how sorry he was…that he loved her and wanted to make a life with her. It was what he’d wanted all along but had been too blinded by fear to allow it to happen.

_“Are you free this weekend?”_

_“Why?” he demanded to know as he looked into his microscope._

_“I’ve been asked to speak at a charity benefit this weekend,” she explained as she leaned forward, resting her forearms on the work desk of Batman’s lab in the Metro Tower. “I was hoping you would go with me.”_

_“Can’t.”_

_Diana huffed in annoyance with his abrupt dismissal of her. “Come on, Bruce,” she pressed. “I really don’t want to go alone again. What do you have going on that you can’t go with me?”_

_“I’m busy.”_

_“You’re always busy,” she reminded him. “Look, I’m not asking for a marriage proposal. I simply want some company at a benefit event.”_

_“Diana, I said no, and I mean no,” he growled, slamming his fist on top of the table. Beakers and bottles rattled with the unexpected outburst, nearly knocking them over. “I’m not going with you now or ever so leave it alone.”_

_“What is your problem?” she spat out with a scowl as she straightened up, her hands finding her hips. “Can’t we even be friends…or is that even too much for me to ask of you?”_

_He whirled on his heel, getting in her face, but she didn’t flinch, didn’t back down. “We both know that’s not what this is,” he hissed. “You want more than I want to give. You think there’s something between us, but there’s nothing, Diana. There never has been and there never will be so give up and move on.”_

_Diana slapped him across the face, not nearly as hard as she would’ve like, but it was enough to cause his head to snap to the side. “You arrogant ass,” she hissed. “I’m not so lovestruck teenager, mooning over you or dying for you to take notice of me. I am an Amazon warrior and I refuse to lower myself for a man too blind to see what is right before him.”_

_“Diana!” he yelled, starting to follow her as she stalked towards the door of his lab._

_“Don’t, Bruce,” she stated with a razor-sharp edge filled with warning as she glanced back over her shoulder at him. “You’ve made your feelings abundantly clear. You don’t want anything from me…not even my friendship. I guess I don’t measure up to the Cat, do I?”_

_Bruce stood there as Diana exited his lab, stunned by what had just happened…what he had just allowed to happen. He had ever chance to tell her how he truly felt and like a coward, he always ran in the opposite direction. He’s allowed a bad night on patrol affect his mood, unleashing his anger and frustration with himself on Diana._

_He’d just crushed her spirit. He saw it in her eyes. He had just killed something inside of her and he was terrified of what that something was. Had he just suffocated any feelings that she might have held for him? Destroying any chance that he might have had with her in the future?_

_Batman roared with a fury felt bone-deep, smashing a bunch of beakers on the table. How had he let this happen?_

Bruce momentarily hung his head as memories of that fight resurfaced in his mind, breaking his heart all over again. Diana didn’t know that a ten-year-old boy had died that night in his arms. She had no idea that the killer had eluded him and that he hadn’t been able to find him.

Instead, she had paid the price for her kindness and compassion, her desire for some companionship. They had been extremely close friends, probably one of the closest friends that he’d ever had, and he’d spit in the face of that friendship. He’d stomped all over whatever it was that had been building between them from the moment they’d met.

To call it attraction was too minimal. To call it a crush, far too simplistic. This was something that defied all logic, surpassed anything that he’d ever felt for another woman. He almost laughed at what he’d once believed was love. In reality, he hadn’t known the true meaning of love until Diana. 

She had taught him more about love in the past four and a half years than anyone ever had before her save for his parents and Alfred. She had showed that love through her words and actions, through her heartwarming smile and the compassion that she constantly showered on others.

He missed her so much it almost hurt to breathe.

“Hey, you have an incoming message from your doppelgänger,” Tim announced.

Bruce drew a shuddering breath, hoping that he had some good news for him. “Accept the transmission,” he told him, getting to his feet and walking to the laptop on the work desk.

The image that appeared on the screen caused him to freeze, his heart beginning to hammer wildly. He tried to swallow but found that he couldn’t. It wasn’t Lord Batman who had contacted him. It was the former Lord Wonder Woman.

She sat in Lord Batman’s chair, her raven hair grazing her shoulders now. The hatred that permeated her blue eyes was gone and in its place was nothing but kindness and peace. She gave him a tentative smile, momentarily averting her eyes as if she were considering what she wanted to say.

“Hi, Bruce,” she gently said, appearing apprehensive.

“Hi…Diana,” he hesitantly replied. “I wasn’t expecting it to be you.”

“I know and I’m sorry,” she quickly apologized. “I just wanted to talk to you for a moment.”

“Okay,” he said, uncertainty clouding his face as he sat at his work desk before his laptop. “What did you want to talk about?”

“I just wanted to tell you please don’t give up on Diana,” she told him, pausing to hook a raven strand behind her ear. “I know you and my Bruce have been working to find her, but I just wanted to encourage you to not give up hope.”

“I won’t,” he promised her. “I need to get her back.”

She smiled softly, her blue eyes brightening in that way that his Diana’s always had when she was relieved or excited about something. It caused his chest to tighten, aching desire to see the Amazon princess again growing stronger with every passing day.

“My Bruce didn’t give up on me even after I went down a very dark path that I’ll always regret,” she confessed. “Because of that, we’re together now and I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my whole life.”

“We all make mistakes, Diana,” he reminded her.

“Mine was unforgiveable,” she insisted with a definitive shake of her head, her lips pursing with unmistakable disgust. “But Bruce still loved me despite it all and I’ll be eternally grateful for that.”

Bruce couldn’t help but be reminded once more of the terrible fight they’d had before Grodd took her away from them. Would she ever be able to find it in her heart to forgive him for his cruelty and the cutting things that he’d said to her? He could only hope she would.

“I’m glad it worked out for the two of you,” Bruce told her.

“If you ever need to talk or need a Diana’s point of view, I’m here for you,” she replied. “I want to see it work out for you too because I believe every Diana needs her Bruce.”

The smile that lit up her face caused the corner of his lips to quirk slightly. “I’d like to believe that’s true.”

“Hey, what’s going on here?”

Diana looked to her right at her Bruce who had just joined the communication. “I was just giving Bruce a little encouragement,” she said. “I didn’t want him to give up on his Diana because you never gave up on me.”

Bruce watched as Lord Batman turned Diana’s chair to face him, his hands coming to rest on the armrests of the chair. He inclined his head, kissing her for several long moments before finally breaking the intimate contact. “And I never will,” he promised her. “Now, get out of my chair. We’ve got things to discuss.”

“I’ll be waiting for you upstairs,” she told him with a grin, her finger trailing along the exposed part of his jaw before she disappeared from view.

Lord Batman took her seat, his expression immediately becoming stoic and all business. “Sorry about that,” he muttered.

“No, it actually helped to talk to her,” he confessed. “What have you been able to find?”

“Well, I’ve been able to search eight hundred and twenty-seven universes so far,” he revealed. “There’s been no sign of her so far.”

A disheartened sigh escaped as Bruce leaned forward, his elbow coming to rest on his work desk. “This isn’t looking good,” he said as he rubbed his forehead.

“No one is giving up yet,” Lord Batman sternly stated. “I just wanted to let you know what I’ve been able to do so far.”

“I appreciate all you’ve done,” Bruce told him. “I’m sure you have more important things that you could be working on.”

“There’s nothing more important than finding Diana,” he stated in no uncertain terms. “My Diana has been helping search universes while I’ve been patrolling. We will find her. It’s just going to take some time.”

“Even you said it could take years,” Bruce reminded him.

“Yes, it could…but then again, it might not,” he countered. “We might find her tomorrow.”

“Or it might be ten years from now,” he pointed out.

Lord Batman visibly grimaced. “I’d forgotten how pessimistic I used to be,” he said. “I guess Diana has instilled more hope in me than I’d first believed.”

“I’m not being pessimistic,” Bruce growled. “I’m being realistic. There’s a difference.”

“Not much when it comes to us,” Lord Batman responded. “How’s the transportation device coming?”

“Tim’s helping me with the computer programming,” he informed him. “It will definitely help cut down on the length of time it’ll take to complete it.”

“Tim’s still alive?” he quietly asked, not wanting to test his voice.

“Yes,” Bruce confirmed, his brow knitting with the sense of dread that filled him. “What happened to your Tim?”

“Two-Face,” he simply stated, refusing to talk any further about it.

Bruce remembered wanting to ask about Lord Batman’s world and his partners but hadn’t had the time or opportunity. They’d had more pressing matters to deal with at the time like stopping the Justice Lords, rescuing Hawkgirl, and finding a way home. They’d never gotten around to comparing notes.

“I’m sorry,” Bruce replied.

A tense pronounced silence followed that seemed to drag on forever before Lord Batman finally spoke again. “I’ll keep you updated.”

“Thanks,” he said.

“Let me know if you run into trouble building the transporter.”

“I will.”

Lord Batman abruptly ended the transmission without another word, leaving Bruce to stare at a blank screen. With a grunt of annoyance, he closed his laptop, glancing at the device that wasn’t near up and ready to bring anyone home even if Lord Batman found her tomorrow.

He wasn’t going to give up, though. Talking to Diana had lifted his spirits despite how difficult it had been to see her, making him that much more determined to get her back. Even though she wasn’t his, he was resolved to make her his own once she was home again.

“Are you okay?” Tim quietly asked, keeping his focus on the computer before him.

“I’m fine,” Bruce stated, straightening his shoulders. “Let’s get this done so we’re ready when he finds her.”

The corners of Tim’s lips curled as he typed in a code. Bruce had never been one for optimism or false hope but seeing a version of Diana had definitely helped him. With any luck, they’d have their Diana home sooner rather than later. He missed her too and was anxious to bring her back.

The world just wasn’t the same without her.

**_Batcave (AU)_ **

“Okay, thank you for your help,” Diana replied. “No, I completely understand. I really appreciate all your efforts. All right…yes, goodbye.”

Bruce could tell by the expression on her face that the news hadn’t been good. “What did he say?”

“Superman said they’ve reviewed Dr. Hamilton’s work,” she said as she turned towards him, trying to remain in control of her churning emotions. “The technology needed for the device is still in its infancy. They feel it would be too time consuming at this point to attempt to build it. He said that he would contact me if any new advancements came along in the future that could help me.”

“Diana, I’m so sorry,” he said, reaching for her.

Diana pulled back, holding her hand up. “I’m sorry, Bruce,” she softly said, shaking her head. “I just need to be alone for a little while.”

Bruce felt his heart break for her as she wrapped her arms around herself. “I understand.”

He watched as she headed towards the stairs that would lead her up into the manor. His chin fell to his chest as he raked his fingers back through his jet-black hair, releasing a frustrated breath. He hated seeing her so hurt, knowing she wouldn’t be going home to the life that she once had.

His jaw set with determination as his eyes narrowed. He was going to review Dr. Hamilton’s research himself to see if there was any way he could build what she needed to get home. The thought of her leaving him cut deeply, but her happiness meant more to him than anything in this world.

Making his way to his computer system, he sat down, pulling up the research that Diana had done so far including Dr. Hamilton’s research. He had no idea if he was going to be able to accomplish something like this, but he knew that he had to at least try for her.

XXX

Diana made her way upstairs to Bruce’s bedroom…the room that she shared with him now. Entering, her gaze fell on the bed where they’d made love countless times now. She slowly ran her fingers over the comforter, remembering how similar the room was to her Bruce’s.

When she’d stayed at the manor during the building of the second Watchtower, she’d snuck into his room a couple of times to look around. She was pretty certain Bruce didn’t know about it, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

There was so much about this world that was like hers and yet there was just as much that was so different. The thought of never seeing Bruce or her family and friends again hurt her deeply, far more than she had believed it would. It all felt so final now.

There was no way back to her world, to her life. This was her life now, one that she would have to learn to accept. Being here with Bruce made it somehow a little more bearable, especially knowing that they were going to have a baby together.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, her hands moved to the noticeable swell of her abdomen. She gently caressed where her baby was growing, excitement warring with anguish that threatened to crush her spirit. She had a little life depending on her now. She needed to think about the baby and making sure he or she was taken care of.

She was going to have to reach down deep, tapping into the strength and fierce determination of her Amazon heritage. She needed to be prepared to build a new life here in this world with Bruce and their child, her home now her past. This was her home…her life.

Laying down on her side of the bed, she reached across to run her fingers over his pillow as tears blurred her vision. Her life had become so bittersweet, so many thoughts and emotions storming through her and causing her stomach to roil. How had life become so very complicated and difficult? She knew she only had herself to blame for the mess she found herself in now. If she hadn’t given in to temptation…if she hadn’t given in to her feelings.

Her hand went to her abdomen once more. She already loved this baby as well as the man that she made it with. The other half of her heart was back in her world with the first man that she had ever fallen in love with. What would he say if he knew that she had fallen in love with another Bruce and was carrying his baby?

Her heart clenched, knowing the pain that it would cause him if he knew. She had never meant to hurt him…had never meant for any of this to happen, but it did happen and now she was going to have to deal with the consequences of her decisions.

**_Gotham (AU)_ **

Bruce could barely contain his excitement as they walked into Leslie’s clinic. They were going to find out the sex of their baby today. Glancing at Diana, he was more than relieved to see her smiling again. Getting the news from Superman a few weeks ago that there wasn’t anything they could do to help her had been difficult blow for her, but she was learning to accept it.

Focusing on the baby had definitely helped. Knowing if they were having a boy or a girl would help them buy the things they would need for the nursery as well as clothes. Diana was already beginning to show more so shopping for maternity clothes were going to become a necessity soon.

“What?” Diana asked with a confused smile as she looked at him.

Bruce smiled back, shaking his head. “Nothing,” he murmured as they reached the front door of the clinic. “I was just thinking about how beautiful you are. You’re going to need maternity clothes soon.”

Diana groaned as he opened the door for her. “Don’t remind me,” she muttered. “I can barely fit into my clothes now. I’m going to be huge.”

“You’re going to be perfect because you’re carrying my baby,” he corrected her.

She paused to kiss him before passing through the doorway. “You say that now,” she replied. “Just wait until I waddle when I walk, and my ankles swell.”

“I’m ready for all of it,” he confessed.

Diana chuckled as she checked in at the front desk. “You say that now,” she repeated. “The hormones are already beginning to run rampant. Just wait for the crazy food cravings to come.”

“I am up for the challenge, princess,” he swore to her.

“Diana and Bruce here for an appointment,” Diana told the receptionist.

“Ah, yes, Diana,” she confirmed. “I’ll let the doctor know you’re here.”

“I’ve got them, Holly,” Leslie announced from the doorway. “Come on back.”

Bruce and Diana followed Leslie into an exam room, nervous excitement bubbling up inside of both of them. Diana walked over to the table, laying down to find Bruce had already pulled a chair up beside her. He intertwined their fingers, more than anxious to find out what they were having.

Leslie carefully lifted Diana’s shirt up, exposing her growing abdomen. “Now, I can’t guarantee that we’re going to be able to find out the sex today,” she explained. “It’s only twelve weeks, but we should be able to see something. Let’s just hope the baby cooperates and gives us a good view of what we need to see.”

Diana shivered as Leslie squirted gel on her abdomen before turning on the ultrasound machine. She held her breath as Leslie slowly moved the wand over her belly, hoping they could see something. She bit her bottom lip as an image appeared on the screen.

“There is your baby,” Leslie revealed, printing out a picture for them.

“She’s so small,” Bruce murmured in wonder.

Diana chuckled as she glanced over at him. “Bruce, we don’t know for sure if it’s a girl or not.”

“It’s official,” Leslie announced with a grin. “You are having a baby girl.”

“I told you,” Bruce said with a knowing smirk.

“I don’t know how you knew that,” Diana replied.

“I just knew it,” he claimed, kissing her. “I’m so happy.”

“Me too,” Diana whispered, nuzzling her nose against his as her hand found his cheek. “It’s our little Jacey.”

“You really don’t mind naming her Jacinda?”

“No, I want to,” she confirmed. “It’s perfect…she’s perfect.”

Leslie began wiping the gel off Diana’s belly before straightening her shirt. “Here’s a picture for you to show Alfred and Dick.”

“They’re going to be thrilled,” Bruce said.

“Alfred’s been after you to give him some grandchildren for a long time,” Leslie agreed. “How have you been feeling, Diana?”

“Tired…emotional,” she replied. “A few minor cramps.”

“That’s all completely normal during the first several weeks of pregnancy,” Leslie reassured her. “Call me if the cramping worsens or comes more frequently.”

“I will,” Diana agreed as she sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. “I’m going to need some lunch first before heading home. I’m starving.”

“Well, you are going to have to increase your food intake,” Leslie informed her. “Has the nausea and vomiting improved?”

“Yes, it’s finally gone,” Diana replied with obvious relief.

“Make sure you take care of yourself and get plenty of rest,” Leslie instructed her.

“I’ll take good care of her,” Bruce reassured her.

“I know you will,” Leslie said with an affectionate smile. “I’ll have Holly call you to schedule follow up appointments.”

“Thanks, Leslie,” Bruce said.

Bruce and Diana walked out of the clinic and into the afternoon sun. He immediately enveloped her in his arms, holding her against him. “I’ve never been so happy and it’s all because of you.”

Diana returned his embrace, savoring the feel of being in his arms. She’d long for something like this for so long and now she finally had it. Still, she couldn’t completely ignore the tug of grief on her heart. “I am too,” she murmured.

“Where do you want to eat?” he asked. “You pick. What are you hungry for?”

“Italian,” she readily decided. “I’m craving Italian food.”

“There’s an Italian restaurant down the street that has outdoor tables,” he told her.

“It sounds perfect,” she agreed.

They walked hand in hand along the street, both feeling as though they were floating ten feet off the ground. “Should we at least call Alfred and Dick to tell them the news?” Diana asked.

“No, let’s just enjoy it for a little longer,” he decided. “We’ll tell them when we get home.”

“I guess we could wait just a little bit longer,” she agreed.

“I can’t believe we’re having a girl,” he told her.

“I can’t believe that you seemed to know it right away.”

Bruce shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know how, but I just knew it.”

Arriving at the restaurant, they were seated at a table along the sidewalk. They placed their orders before diving headlong into discussions about what color to paint the nursery and what theme they should use. The joy of talking about the baby helped to lessen the sorrow of not being able to return home, but it still lingered there beneath the surface for Diana.

There was a constant dull ache in her chest, a loneliness she couldn’t shake. She wanted to be able to share this exciting time in her life with her mother and Donna, but they were probably under the assumption she had been killed when in reality she’d begun the arduous task of trying to build a new life for herself in a new world that wasn’t her own.

She couldn’t help wondering what it would have been like to share this experience with the Bruce from her universe. She had actually dreamed about it a few times, sharing a life and a love with him that resulted in a couple of children and a future that she had longed for with him.

But it wasn’t meant to be. Bruce had made that abundantly clear before they had left to fight the Secret Society. She knew that he held some sort of feelings for her, but she had no idea what they were exactly. Either way, he wasn’t about to act on them no matter what occurred.

“Hey, did you hear me?” Bruce asked, tilting his head to capture her attention.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized with a shake of her head. “What did you say?”

“I was just wondering what you thought about painting the nursery lavender,” he suggested. “I know it’s not the traditional pink, but I thought maybe it would be nice to do something a little different.”

“I love it,” she agreed. “I think it sounds perfect.”

“Are you all right?” he asked, noticing the faraway look in her eye.

“I’m just a little tired,” she tried to tell him. “I guess I’m not used to being mortal.”

“You’ll have to take a nap when we get home,” he said.

“Bruce?”

Bruce instantly stiffened with the all too familiar voice that had just uttered his name. He’d hoped to avoid seeing her, but it seemed as though she had found him. He turned to his right to find Talia coming to a stop in front of the wrought iron fence that separated them.

“Talia,” he crisply stated, a definite frost to his tone.

“It’s so good to see you,” she gushed. “I stopped by the manor a few weeks ago, but you weren’t home.”

“I heard.”

Talia ignored his icy demeanor, pressing on as if she’d never broken his heart by running off with another man. “I asked to have you call me, but I never heard from you.”

“I’ve been busy,” he stated.

Talia glanced at Diana, bristling with the gorgeous woman’s presence. “I see,” she coolly replied as she glanced down at Diana’s abdomen. “It looks as though you’ve been quite busy. I guess congratulations are in order.”

“We’re having a girl,” he told her, a measure of the hostility melting away with the mention of the baby.

“Well, I guess that explains why you never called,” Talia said.

“How is Phillipe?” he asked.

“We broke up,” she informed him.

“I’d tell you I’m sorry to hear that, but we both know that wouldn’t be the truth.”

Talia’s expression hardened with anger. “It wasn’t anything personal, Bruce,” she tried to tell him. “You were ready to settle down and I…well, I met Phillipe.”

“I know, Talia,” he said with an air of bitterness. “I watched you walk away with your engagement ring still in my pocket.”

“Well, things have changed,” she responded, casting a sidelong glance at Diana. “If you ever decide that you want to get back together, you know how to find me.”

“Don’t wait by the phone,” he spat out. “That call won’t be coming.”

Talia huffed in anger, storming away in indignation. “Wow,” Diana murmured. “She’s just like the Talia I know.”

“Really?”

“I don’t know her that well, but from what I’ve learned, they could be twins.”

“How did the other Bruce put up with her?”

“I don’t know,” she confessed. “He must have seen something in her that attracted him to her. They had a son together.”

Bruce’s head shot up from his lunch, stunned by the revelation. “They had a son together? You never told me that.”

“Well, I didn’t want to divulge too much information when I first met you,” she explained as she dug into her tortellini. “I didn’t know if you were good Bruce or bad Bruce.”

He chuckled with her explanation. “And what is your conclusion, princess?”

“Bad…very, very bad,” she teased with a grin.

“But in a very good way,” he flirted, leaning in and kissing her on the lips. “What is Bruce and Talia’s son’s name?”

“His name is Damian,” she revealed. “Bruce didn’t actually know about him until more recently. Talia kept him hidden from Bruce for several years.”

“Sounds about par for the course when it comes to Talia keeping secrets,” he uttered in disgust. “It must have hurt him deeply to have such a thing kept from him.”

“I think it did, but he never wanted to talk about it,” she thoughtfully replied. “He tends to keep his thoughts and emotions to himself. It turns into a guessing game as to what he’s actually thinking or feeling.”

“Meanwhile, you can read me like a book.”

“It’s a refreshing change,” she assured him, her hand moving to cover his on the table. “I don’t have to constantly wonder or almost beat you to get information out of you. It’s frustrating and infuriating and you just want to punch him in the face.”

He shook his head as he thought about it. “I can’t imagine being so closed off to everyone around me. It sounds like he’s exceedingly difficult to deal with.”

“He is, but every once in a while, he lets his guard down just a little and the real Bruce shows through,” she admitted with a wistful expression. “Those are the moments that I love the most.”

Bruce couldn’t help but notice the look in her eye and the warm expression on her face as she talked about the Bruce from her dimension. It was obvious she loved him deeply, but he also knew that she loved him as well. It was bittersweet in a way that he didn’t want to think about, too afraid of the jealousy that it might stir.

He knew going into this that she was in love with him, but he’d decided to take that leap anyway. He’d take whatever she could give him, and he’d found that it had been more than enough. When Diana loved, she loved with all that she had. He felt it every time they made love. He’s just been fortunate enough to have found her.

“I’m sorry you can’t return home to him,” he softly said.

She smiled at him, kissing him sweetly. “This is my home now…here with you,” she reassured him, doing her best to bury her feelings for the man who had first stolen her heart.

He was her past and this was her new future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hmmm...Diana better not get too attached to her new life because someone is coming for her very soon!
> 
> UP NEXT: Shayera, John, & Wally plot, Diana has some complications and AU Bruce and Diana have a disagreement.
> 
> I'm working on Chp 18 right now! Hope to wrap this one up by Chp 22 and then on to Family Crisis. Thanks for hanging with me through this! :)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

**_Watchtower (MU)_ **

“How do you think Batman’s search is going?” Green Lantern asked as he poked at his lunch, wishing now that he’d gotten the spaghetti.

“I don’t know,” Shayera replied with a frown. “He won’t return any of my hails or my calls.”

John snorted in amusement, looking at her with raised eyebrows. “Did you really expect him to?”

“Well, not exactly, but I was still hoping for at least a growled ‘leave me alone’ or a string of curses,” she said with a chuckle. “Then, we’d at least know Batman was still alive.”

“Yah, he hasn’t shown his cowled face up here since the day Diana disappeared,” John reminded her. “Everyone is talking about it too. They think he’s quit the League because he couldn’t deal with his grief.”

“Why wouldn’t they think that?” she said. “Batman and Wonder Woman were the hottest topic in the rumor mill for years. Since she disappeared, he’s been nonexistent. The only news we get about him is the stories that trickle out of Gotham and even that has been pretty sparse.”

“He’s been spending all of his time on that transporter.”

“He’s obsessed with finding her and getting her back.”

John smirked as he poked a piece of meat with his fork. “Did you really expect anything different from him?” he asked. “He’s in love with her…has been for some time. He just doesn’t want to admit it to anyone let alone himself. Admitting it makes it real and if it’s real he has to face it and you know he hates doing that.”

“Well, maybe this will be the wakeup call that he’s needed for the last four plus years.”

“Hey guys!” Wally greeted them as he suddenly appeared at the table with a loaded tray in hand. He slid into the seat next to Shayera. “I’m so glad you’re both here. I have an awesome idea I want to discuss with you two.”

“Whatever it is the answer is no,” John immediately replied. “Anyway, I really think that Batman will come around once she—”

“You didn’t even hear my idea yet!” Flash declared, interrupting John.

“I know you and I know your ideas,” John told him. “They’re always bad or they get me into trouble of some kind. That is why the answer is no.”

“When was the last time I got you into…wait,” Wally began only to stop mid-sentence as he was struck with a recent memory. “Don’t answer that.”

“Like I said,” John murmured.

“Please, listen,” Wally pleaded. “This one is really good. It’s about Wondy.”

“Fine,” Shayera relented. “What’s your idea, Wal?”

“I was thinking maybe we could redecorate her quarters for when she returns,” Wally suggested.

“It could take months or even years for them to find her, buddy,” John gently reminded him.

“I know,” he softly replied, “but at least it’ll be all ready for her whenever she comes back. I think it would be a super nice surprise for her.”

“I think it’s a great idea, Wally,” Shayera agreed with a smile. “I think we should do it.”

“I guess I’m in then,” John said, “but will Diana appreciate us going through her things like that?”

“She’ll be so thrilled to be back where she belongs, she won’t even care,” Wally assured him. “Besides, it won’t be like we’ll go through all her personal items. We could just paint and put up some nice pictures…maybe a new comforter for her bed to redecorate it.”

“I love it,” Shayera decided. “It’ll help us feel better too knowing we’re doing something for her.”

“That’s what I thought too,” Flash said. “Maybe we could decorate it with pictures of Greek sword fights or female mud wrestling.”

John and Shayera both wrinkled up their noses in disgust. “Why would Diana want pictures of female mud wrestling?” Shay demanded to know.

“Don’t Amazons mud wrestle in the nude?” he asked, looking from John to Shayera for confirmation.

“I don’t think so,” John ventured.

“Let’s just see if we can find something a little more…peaceful and soothing,” Shayera suggested. “There’s no telling the hell that she’s been going through in whatever universe she’s found herself in. I’m sure something tranquil will be best.”

“Yah, sure…I guess,” Wally said with a shrug of a shoulder. “I still like the idea of the female mud wrestlers.”

“We can put that up in your quarters,” John told him.

“Do you ever wonder what she’s doing right now?” Wally asked.

“All the time,” Shay admitted. “I just hope she’s safe and happy wherever she is.”

“Me too,” Wally said. “It would make it so much worse if she were in constant danger…always fighting for her life just to survive. I want her to at least be happy.”

“I wonder if she found a world like ours,” John ventured. “Wouldn’t it be something if she’s already started a new life?”

Shayera gave him a curious look. “You mean like a new identity and all…a home and a job?”

“Why not?” John said. “If I couldn’t find a way back home, that’s what I would do. There comes a point when you just have to move on and accept what life has dealt you.”

“You think she’s waiting tables somewhere?” Wally asked. “That sounds crazy. I can’t picture Wondy as a waitress.”

“I know, but she still has to survive somehow,” John pressed. “She’ll have to earn money to live.”

“Maybe she’s working as a secretary,” Wally thoughtfully guessed. “I could see her a secretary.”

“I hope she’s found a friend,” John added.

The corner of Shayera’s lips quirked. “I hope she’s found herself a boyfriend.”

“Oh, please,” John muttered. “She’s in love with Bats.”

“They’re not married,” she reminded them. “They’re nothing more than friends because that’s the way Bats wants it. There’s nothing to say that she can’t find herself a little love while she’s there.”

“I never took you for a romantic at heart, Shay,” Wally said.

“I’m not, but for Diana’s sake, I hope she’s found some love and happiness,” she told them. “I told her once not to knock it until she tried it. I hope she took me up on my suggestion. That girl needs to let her hair down and have some fun…get some loving.”

“Bats would not be happy if she found someone else,” Flash muttered with a shiver of dread. “He would go ballistic.”

“Not to sound cruel, but that’s his own dumb fault,” Shayera decided. “He’s the one that decided to sit on his hands and not do anything about what’s been so obviously growing between them for years now.”

“Poor Bats,” Flash murmured. “He’s doomed either way, isn’t he?”

“How so?” John asked.

“He didn’t go after Wondy when she was here and now, she’s gone,” he said. “He just can’t win when it comes to matters of the heart.”

“Hopefully, Batman will still get the chance if he can just find her,” Shay replied. “He just needs to be brave enough to finally tell her how he feels.”

**_Wayne Manor (AU)_ **

“I can’t believe we’re doing this now,” Diana said, looking around the room as her hand came to rest on belly. 

She couldn’t help but feel somewhat overwhelmed by all of it. Bruce was just so excited about the baby that he could hardly contain himself. She was excited about the baby too, but it just felt as though everything was moving so fast…all so final.

This was her life now and she needed to acknowledge it, learn to adjust to it all. Being pregnant was already life-changing enough without having to adapt to a new world where the people weren’t the same that she had grown to know and love.

She couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt that continued to cling to her like a second skin, thoughts of Batman finding its way to the forefront of her mind. She felt as though she was losing a piece of herself in this world, in this life that she was living. She was almost beginning to forget what it was to be Wonder Woman, to have her gifts. It was unsettling.

She knew that being with Bruce probably wasn’t the wisest decision, but what was done was done and she wasn’t going to second guess herself now. They had a baby to think about, a new life growing within her that depended on them now. That had to be her first priority.

“Why not do it now?” Bruce asked, breaking Diana free from her thoughts. “Don’t you think we should get started on the nursery?”

“Bruce, the baby isn’t going to be here for another five months,” she reminded him. “I think we have plenty of time to put together a nursery.”

“I know, but I wanted to get started on it right away,” he told her. “That will give us plenty of time to redecorate it if we decide we don’t like it.”

Diana chuckled as her arms slipped around his neck, her head tilting as she gazed lovingly at him. “What am I going to do with you?” she asked.

Bruce stole a kiss, brushing his nose against hers. “I can think of several things right off the top of my head, but it would require removing our clothes and I’m not sure we have time for that.”

“You’re incorrigible,” she teased as her lips found his in a slow burn that quickly stole his breath away. She took her time, nipping and nibbling on his bottom lip. She was rewarded with a low groan as the kiss became more heated.

“Hmmm…maybe we do have time,” he readily decided as he backed her up against the wall to continue what she’d started.

Diana quickly lost herself in the kiss that steadily intensified, deciding that maybe they did have the time as his hand found her breast with a gentle squeeze. His arms slipped around her, pulling her closer to him. He wanted to feel her soft skin against his, the sound of his name on her lips.

She murmured his name as he kissed along her throat, losing herself in the feel of him when an unexpected voice carried from outside the room.

“I’m coming down the hall! I don’t want to see anything I’m not supposed to see! I’m very impressionable at my young age!”

Bruce broke the kiss with a growl, his forehead coming to rest against hers. “Isn’t he supposed to be in class right now?”

“Class got out early,” Dick announced, leaning against the doorway with a smirk on his lips and his arms folded against his chest. “What are you two up to in here? It certainly doesn’t look like you’re painting.”

“Funny,” Bruce growled as he gave his brother a dirty look, trying to regain some semblance of control. “Don’t you have something you could be doing that’s not here?”

“Yah, I came to help paint,” he told them as Diana extricated herself from Bruce’s embrace, pausing to smooth her hair.

“We would appreciate the help, Dick,” Diana replied, elbowing Bruce in the ribs. “Wouldn’t we?”

“Yah, I guess…whatever,” Bruce grumbled as he turned his attention to the cans of paint on the floor, vowing to get revenge on his brother for interrupting what was turning into a passionate stint of love making. Now, he was forced to think cold thoughts as he pried open one of the cans.

“Wow…that certainly is lavender,” Dick commented as he picked up a paint roller.

“That’s what we wanted,” Bruce maintained. “If we decide we don’t like it later, we can always repaint the nursery.”

“Why not pink?” Dick asked. “Don’t all girls love pink?”

“We wanted to do something different,” Diana replied. “Besides, not every girl likes pink.”

“I’m a boy and I love blue,” Dick teased. “Isn’t that the way the world goes?”

“You’re incorrigible too,” Diana decided with a shake of her head. “It must run in the Wayne blood.”

“You know that means our daughter probably will be too,” Bruce pointed out with a grin.

“Hera, I’m going to have my hands full with the three of you,” she muttered under her breath.

“I don’t know why you didn’t just have this hired out,” Dick mentioned. “A lot less work and worry.”

“No way,” Bruce adamantly stated. “I want to be the one to paint my daughter’s room.”

Diana smiled at his enthusiasm as she spread out a paint cloth. It warmed her clear to her toes to know how much he loved her and this baby they’d made. Still, an uneasy feeling continued to swirl just beneath the surface, something akin to dread. Something wasn’t right.

“I think it’s really sweet,” Diana said.

“I think it’s sappy,” Dick quipped with a grin.

“Don’t listen to him,” Bruce told Diana. “Dick doesn’t believe in doing much that includes physical labor. If it can be hired out, then all the better for him. It means he can run around and goof off with his annoying friends.”

“Roy and Conner aren’t annoying,” Dick claimed as Bruce handed him a tray of paint. “They’re just…energetic.” 

“They love to pull pranks,” Bruce pointed out. “Still, doesn’t disprove the fact that you don’t like work.”

“Hey!” he exclaimed. “I put more windshield wiper fluid in my pickup truck the other day.”

“Garage closed?”

“Yes, but that’s beside the point,” Dick maintained, chin lifted in indignation. “I still did it myself.”

“When are you going to start working for the company?” Bruce asked as he began painting one of the walls. “You know I can put you to work on Monday.”

“Once I get settled into my classes,” Dick replied.

“You’re halfway through your freshman year at Gotham University,” Bruce pointed out.

“I’m still adjusting.”

“Adjusting with Barbara,” Bruce muttered.

Diana couldn’t help but laugh at their banter as they started to paint. “You two are definitely brothers.”

“I thought you could use some sandwiches while you work,” Alfred announced as he entered the would-be nursery with a tray of sandwiches and a pitcher of iced tea.

“Alfred, you are amazing,” Diana praised him. “How did you know I was starving?”

The British butler’s eyes twinkled with affection as he shared a knowing smile with her. “Let’s just say that I had an inkling,” he replied. “Missus Wayne was hungry all the time too during her two pregnancies.”

“That might explain why I’m always hungry,” Dick supposed.

“Why? Are you pregnant too?” Bruce quipped, ducking as a sandwich sailed past his head.

“Do not throw food,” Diana adamantly stated, her blue eyes flashing with annoyance. “I’m eating for two here you know. No wasting food.”

“You tell them, Miss Diana,” Alfred agreed. “Someone around here needs to rein these two in. Heaven knows I’ve tried for years.”

“I’m more than happy to, Alfred,” she replied with a conspiratorial grin.

“Hey, I think we turned out pretty awesome,” Dick decided. “You know the Wayne brothers are considered the crown princes of Gotham.”

“Well, some of us turned out better than others,” Bruce joked.

“Do you want another sandwich flying by your head?” Dick threatened.

“I think I’ll leave these two for you to handle, Miss Diana,” Alfred told her as he left the room.

“I’m happy to do it, Alfred,” she assured him as she took another sandwich.

She grimaced as a cramp took her by surprise, causing her hand to fall to her lower abdomen. Bruce noticed, dropping his paint roller before making his way to her side. “Are you all right?” he asked, his hand coming to rest on her back.

“I think so,” she murmured, momentarily closing her eyes. “It just caught me off guard.”

“Should I call Leslie?” he questioned her as Dick ran out of the room.

“No…no, it’s passing,” she tried to reassure him despite the worry that continued to linger. “It’s better now.”

“I don’t like this,” Bruce muttered, a worried frown on his face.

“Leslie said it was completely normal,” Diana reminded him.

“Mild cramping,” he pointed out. “This one did not seem mild at all to me. You looked like you were in real pain, Diana.”

Dick returned to the room a couple of minutes later with a chair. “Here, why don’t you sit down and rest while we paint?”

“That’s very sweet of you, but I want to help,” she insisted. “This is my daughter too.”

“Why don’t you rest for a little while,” Bruce suggested. “If the cramping doesn’t return, you can help paint the trim around the baseboards.”

“In the meantime, you can be our supervisor…boss us around and tell us what to do,” Dick told her as he poured her a glass of iced tea.

Diana chuckled with his suggestion as she took the glass from him. “I’m sure there would be a few people back home who would say that I’m very good at that…especially Batman.”

Bruce tried not to think about Diana’s relationship with Batman despite how platonic it might have been. He refused to be jealous about her feelings for the Bruce from her world. Instead, he was going to focus on the happiness that Diana had brought to his life. He knew with every fiber of his being that Diana loved him. He was just lucky that his twin from her world had been too afraid to make a life with her.

“Are you sure you’re feeling all right?” Bruce asked again, his worry simmering just beneath the surface.

“Stop worrying,” she told him, taking his hand and squeezing it in reassurance. “I’ll tell you if I feel you need to call Leslie. In the meantime, get to work.”

Bruce grinned at her, relieved that she was doing better. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I wouldn’t mess with her, Bruce,” Dick advised. “I have a feeling she’s not someone to argue with.”

“You learn quick,” Diana teased with a smirk as she sipped on her iced tea.

She reached for another sandwich, another cramp coming on. Thankfully, this one wasn’t nearly as strong. It was mild and bearable, but it was still concerning to her, nonetheless. Leslie had assured her it was normal, but she still wished she had another woman she could talk to that’s been through this before. It would bring a measure of comfort that she was lacking at that moment.

“When are you going to shop for furniture for the nursery?” Dick asked.

“This weekend,” Bruce replied. “We’re going to dinner this coming Friday night with Oliver and Dinah, so it looks like Saturday is the big day.”

“I was thinking it might not hurt to put a bassinet in our room,” Diana suggested. “I think for the first few weeks she should sleep in our room before we get her settled into the nursery.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Bruce agreed. “I don’t know how I’m going to be able to wait five more months until she gets here.”

“Jacey is going to be the most spoiled baby in the entire world,” Dick commented. “You know we’re all going to spoil her rotten. I mean the kid’s not even born yet and she already has Bruce wrapped around her little finger. I’m sure Alfred isn’t going to be any better.”

“Diana, you’re going to have to do all the punishing,” Bruce teased, glancing at her over his shoulder. “I’m not going to be able to do it. I’ll just end up caving. Although, I’m never allowing her to date. Boys are off limits.”

Diana chuckled as she began to look through some fabric swatches for the curtains and bedding. “Great,” she replied. “Make me be the bad guy…and you know you’ll eventually have to let her date.”

“Yah, that’s not going to work, Bruce,” Dick pointed out. “You can’t play good cop, bad cop with your own daughter.”

“Maybe Alfred could be the disciplinarian,” Bruce suggested with a laugh.

“Well, don’t look at Uncle Dick,” his brother added. “I’m going to be her favorite. I’m just putting that out there right now.”

“I’m going to be her favorite because I’m her father,” Bruce maintained.

“Yes, but I’m sure she’s going to love her Uncle Dick more.”

Diana laughed to herself as the brother’s argued over who was going to be Jacey’s favorite. Her mind drifted to thoughts of home. She couldn’t help wondering how her Bruce would respond to having a baby with her. Would Tim, Dick, and Damian argue about who would be her favorite? Would he be this excited about the baby or want to paint the nursery lavender?

The thought caused her heart to constrict with a longing that refused to diminish. Would she ever be able to get over him? He’d made it perfectly clear that he didn’t want to be with her. She’d tried to tell herself that he was just lashing out at her out of fear, but maybe the time had come to move on. Maybe being sent to this universe was the push she’d need to do just that.

She could feel tears beginning to well in her throat as her hand fell to her abdomen, but she swallowed them back. That life was gone…her past. This was her life now. This was her home and her future. She needed to accept it and let her Bruce go once and for all.

But she found that she didn’t want to. She would always love him no matter how hard he pushed her away or if she never returned to her world. She still believed in him…loved him, and always would no matter what life would bring or what her future held.

XXX

Diana came out of the bathroom towel drying her hair. They were able to finish painting the nursery in one afternoon thanks to Dick. She knew Bruce hadn’t appreciated the fact that Dick had interrupted their intimate moment, but the help had cut down on the amount of time it took to get it finished.

She was surprised to find Bruce in bed reading a book about becoming a father. It brought a smile to her lips as she tossed the damp towel into the hamper. “You already bought a book?”

Bruce looked up, a shy smile on his face. “I just want to be completely prepared for everything.”

She couldn’t help thinking how alike her two Bruce’s were in that respect. They always had to be prepared for every eventuality. It was an endearing trait that had only grown more charming to her. “You are amazing,” she told him as she made her way around the other side of the bed before crawling in beside him. “Do you know that?”

“I don’t see it, but I guess all that matters is that you do,” he replied.

She leaned against his side, her head resting on his shoulder. “What are you reading about?”

His lips quirked into a mischievous grin. “How having a baby can affect our sex life,” he revealed.

“Oh, well, we definitely can’t let that happen,” she said, her fingers lightly circling his pectoralis.

Bruce shivered involuntarily as he tried to focus on the book in his hands. “It says that we need to make time for each other day or night,” he continued, giving her a mischievous smirk.

“I agree with that,” she softly murmured in his ear before teasing the lobe.

“Definitely,” he managed to utter as she kissed behind his ear. “It’s very important we don’t forget to focus on each other too…stolen moments in the kitchen or in the library.”

“Or maybe a little afternoon rendezvous in your office at work,” she suggested.

Bruce leaned over and placed the book on his bedside table before rolling over to face his lover. He kissed her with a passion that took her by surprise. His fingers tangled in her hair as his tongue slid sensually against hers and stealing her breath.

He retreated just enough to brush his nose against hers, his desire for her intensifying. “I want nothing more than to marry you,” he murmured against her lips, kissing her once more. “I want you to be my wife.”

Diana jerked back, stunned by his admission. “Marry me?” she questioned him.

Bruce opened his eyes, confusion evident in his face as he stared at her. “Yes,” he confirmed, capturing her hand in his. “I would love to make you my wife someday. Don’t you want that too?”

“Bruce,” she muttered as she shook her head, pulling her hand free.

He watched as Diana climbed out of their bed, moving to stand before the window. She looked so small and frail standing there, but he knew that she was anything but. It hurt him to see her struggling with all that had happened to her. He was afraid that he’d just made everything that much worse by revealing his dreams for their future together.

He got out of bed, coming around the bed to stand behind her. “I’m sorry, Diana,” he softly said. “I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just something that I’ve been thinking about lately…especially since finding out about the baby.”

Her eyes fell closed as she lowered her head. She was struggling with the emotional torment that continued to wage war between her heart and mind. She felt as though she was being pulled between the two worlds that she belonged to now. It was tearing her heart in two.

“I…I can’t marry you, Bruce,” she replied, her voice fraught with anguish. “It’s too much too soon.”

“I know…and I’m so sorry,” he apologized, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders as his forehead came to rest against the back of her head. “I shouldn’t have said that, but it is true, Diana. I love you and I want to marry you more than anything, but I don’t want to push into something you don’t want.”

“Please, don’t ask me to marry you,” she told him, tears stinging her eyes. “I’m sorry, Bruce. I just…I can’t.”

Diana pulled away from him, leaving him standing there all alone in his bedroom. Bruce rubbed his face with his hands, angry with himself for not waiting until after the baby was born to tell her his plans to ask her to marry him. He’d just ruined everything by pushing her too far.

He wrestled with the urgent need to go after her, but he ultimately decided that he needed to give her some space and some time to think right now. He moved to sit on the edge of his bed, holding his head in his hands. He knew that he’d upset her with his confession, but he’d hoped that she’d be at least a little excited about the idea.

He’d accepted the fact that she still loved the Bruce Wayne from her world, but she was here in his universe now, giving herself to him and creating a new life together. He knew that she loved him too. He felt it in her kisses, in the passion that they created when they made love. It was much more than just simple attraction or lust. It was love.

He just needed to trust in what they’d found together and hope that they could make it work.

**_Batcave (MU)_ **

Bruce was focused on his work and yet his thoughts were still consumed with Diana, hoping that she was safe. He wanted her home more than anything in this world. She’d been missing for over a month now, but it felt like a year or more since he’d last seen her smile or heard her laughter.

He’d always known that he needed her in his life, but he’d never realized just how badly until she was no longer here. She filled a chasm inside of him that had been achingly empty for far too long. He longed for the warmth and light that she always bestowed on everyone around her, ached to finally make her his.

Unfortunately, Constantine hadn’t been able to find a way to discover which universe she was or a way to bring her home. Opening a portal would be a last resort measure, one that was considered dangerous, but necessary if they wanted to bring her home.

“I got it!” Tim suddenly yelled, causing Bruce’s head to snap up.

“What is it?” Bruce asked, looking up from the transporter that was growing closer to completion.

“The interface is done,” Tim excitedly told him, glancing at him over his shoulder. “I’m ready to finish putting this thing together.”

Bruce slowly shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe we’re this close to being done with it. It feels like an eternity since we started it.”

“Now, we just need Lord Batman to find which universe she’s in and we can bring her back home,” Tim confirmed with an exited grin.

Tim and Diana had grown quite close during the time that she had lived at the manor while the new Watchtower was being built. He’d greatly missed her when she’d moved out, hardly seeing her afterwards. Knowing that she was alive, and that Bruce wanted to start a relationship with her made him even more anxious about getting her back. 

With any luck, she would be living at the manor with them again if Bruce didn’t screw it up once she returned.

“I know he’s been working on finding her almost non-stop,” Bruce informed him. “When he isn’t working on it, Diana is searching for her.”

“That’s pretty cool that you two are together in other universes,” Tim commented.

The corner of Bruce’s lips quirked slightly with the thought, readily agreeing with Tim. “It wasn’t like that in every universe Lord Batman has checked.”

“I wonder what it’s like in the dimension that Diana’s in,” Tim thoughtfully wondered out loud. “Maybe the Bruce and Diana of that world have been helping her.”

“I’d love to think so,” he murmured, not daring to dwell on it for too long.

“Unless there is no Diana in that world,” Tim suggested. “I’m sure that Bruce would still help her, or Diana would if there’s no Bruce.”

Bruce frowned as he thought about Diana meeting the Bruce of whatever world she was in. He hoped that he’d help her. He shook his head, not wanting to think about it any further. He didn’t want to consider anything more happening between them. Then again, he’d made it abundantly clear he didn’t want anything more with her before she had disappeared.

He couldn’t think about that right now. He needed to focus on finding her and bringing her safely back to their world where she belonged. He couldn’t wait to feel her in his arms, for her jasmine scent to assault him like it did every time she walked into the room.

“I’m ready to install my part whenever you are,” Tim said.

“I’m almost done,” Bruce told him. “I just need to finish this part and then we can add the interface.”

“We’re so close,” Tim stressed.

“It’ll all be for nothing if Lord Batman can’t find her,” Bruce groused.

“Not for nothing, Bruce,” Tim stated. “He’s going to find her and we’re going to get her back.”

“I hope you’re right,” he murmured, wishing he could be as optimistic as Tim. Unfortunately, his gut told him otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hmmm...something's up. What will happen?
> 
> UP NEXT: Batman finds Diana, but will it be in time? And how will he react to finding out she's pregnant?
> 
> NOTE: First, a huge thank you to those who are still hanging with me in this fic. I know I've lost a ton of readers because it's not my typical fic, but it's been a great experience writing something very different from my norm.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

***WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH***

**_Batcave (MU)_ **

Batman pulled into the Batcave, parking the Batmobile on the turnstile before climbing out. He pulled his cowl off to rest against his back as he made his way to the platform to type his reports from patrol. It had been a slow evening mostly in part because he had been taking out his anger and frustration on the criminals who polluted the streets of Gotham.

It did have its advantages. He was able to return to the cave earlier than expected tonight, giving him extra time to work on finding Diana. While he didn’t possess the technology that Lord Batman did, he was still trying to do as much as possible to help him.

He spotted the transporter that he and Tim had finished last night, his spirits rising knowing that he finally had the means to bring her home. Now, they just had to find her. He’d already started trying to come up with a way to help search the various universes. Unfortunately, it was going to be a laborious undertaking that would takes months, but he wasn’t giving up.

Taking the steps two at a time, Batman spotted a thermos of coffee already awaiting is arrival home. He immediately reached for it, needing the caffeine if he was going to be doing research. He quickly downed a cup before starting up his computer system.

Settling into his chair with his second cup of coffee, he began to type up his file on the Riddler, needing to update some information he’d discovered tonight. He was soon interrupted by an incoming call, one that had his heart racing in anticipation. He quickly punched the button to accept the call. 

“I found her,” Lord Batman greeted him, a grim expression on his face.

“Is she safe? Is she all right?” he demanded to know.

“Yes, but—”

“Send me the coordinates,” Batman stated, pulling his cowl back over his face in preparation for the mission of his life.

“Bruce, wait,” Lord Batman sternly said with a measure of urgency lacing his voice. “There’s something you should—”

“Not now,” Batman growled. “I need to bring her back.”

“You need to know—”

“Send me the coordinates. Batman out.”

Batman immediately ended the transmission without another word, waiting anxiously for the coordinates to be sent to him so he could go after her. His heart hammered beneath his breastbone, apprehension growing with every passing moment.

He was finally going to get her back and bring her home where she belonged.

**_Gotham (AU)_ **

Diana couldn’t stop laughing as Ollie regaled them with one story after another about Bruce during their childhood and all the trouble the pair had gotten into as kids. Bruce was doing his best to intervene with explanations and excuses as to why they had gotten into so much trouble which only seemed to make it all the more amusing.

“Don’t listen to him, Diana,” Ollie insisted, waving a dismissive hand at Bruce. “Listen to me. I’m telling you the whole truth.”

Bruce shook his head as he reached for his glass of wine. “Whatever,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “You only make everything sound so much worse than it actually was. You have a definite flare for the dramatic, Ollie.”

“I think the truth lies somewhere between both of your versions of the story,” Dinah readily decided, finishing her crème brulee. 

“I agree with Dinah,” Diana replied, hiding a grimace as a cramp suddenly assaulted her. 

The cramping had gotten better after the other day, but now it was back again making her more than a little worried about the baby. She was going to have to call Leslie in the morning to see if she could come in for a checkup just to make sure everything was all right.

She had a niggling feeling that something was wrong with the baby, but it was too painful to think about it. She silently prayed to her gods that they would protect her baby girl, a wave of concern washing over her as her hand fell to her abdomen in an attempt to comfort and soothe her unborn child.

The last eight months had been difficult for her with losing her gifts, not being able to be Wonder Woman…finding out that she likely would never be able to return home to her friends and family. Now, there could possibly be something wrong with their baby.

She took a drink of her ice water, more than relieved when the cramping finally passed. “Are you okay, Diana?” Dinah asked.

“I’m fine,” she replied. “Just a little tired.”

“It’s getting late,” Bruce decided as he stood to his feet. “We should probably head home.”

“Bruce, I’m fine…really,” she tried to assure him.

“Wow…it is getting late,” Ollie agreed as he glanced at his watch, standing to his feet as well. “Dinah and I have to get up early tomorrow morning. We’re meeting with the wedding coordinator that I hired to plan our wedding for us.”

“I’m getting so excited,” Dinah said. “I can hardly wait to get married.”

“So, are you two going to get married?” Ollie asked. “We could have a double wedding.”

Diana looked at Bruce, the anger and hurt in his eyes unmistakable to her as he spoke. “We’re taking things slow right now,” he told them with a forced smile. “We’re still trying to adjust to having a baby.”

“I imagine it is quite a life-changer,” Dinah agreed. “Your lives will never be the same once the baby is here. Trying to add a wedding into the mix would be a nightmare.”

Diana glanced at Bruce as the other three began to talk about the baby, knowing that he wanted to get married. They hadn’t spoken about it since the other night when he’d first told her about his desire to marry her. She knew that she had hurt him by not wanting to discuss it, but she just couldn’t deal with it right now. 

There was no guarantee that she was going to stay in this universe forever. While there was no hope of getting home right now, there was still a chance of something working out in the future. She wasn’t ready to make a commitment like that to Bruce when a part of her heart still belonged to the Bruce in her world.

“Let’s get you home,” Bruce murmured as he took her hand in his, drawing her out of her reverie.

“You two are so adorable together,” Dinah gushed. “I can hardly wait till the baby comes. She’s going to be absolutely beautiful.”

“Don’t get any ideas yet, Dinah,” Ollie told her as they followed Bruce and Diana out of the restaurant. “Let’s get through the wedding first before we even think about having any children.”

“We’ll see you guys later,” Bruce said, waving goodbye to them.

“Do you want us to take you to your car?” Ollie offered.

“No, we’re fine,” Diana reassured them.

“We’re just parked a few blocks down the street,” Bruce replied. “It’s a beautiful night. I think we’ll walk.”

“Call me, Diana,” Dinah told her. “We’ll meet for lunch.”

“Sounds good,” she agreed.

Bruce and Diana walked away hand in hand, enjoying the night sky filled with billions of stars. It was getting cooler, autumn definitely in the air. The wind suddenly blew at that moment, causing the ends of Diana’s hair to whip. She gathered it in her hand, pulling it over her shoulder as they continued to walk in silence.

Bruce glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, knowing they really needed to talk. “Are we going to talk about it or just continue to pretend that it never happened?” he asked, a definite edge to his voice.

Diana sighed as she pulled her hand free from his to cross her arms against her chest. “I’m not mad at you, Bruce,” she confessed. “The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt you when we first got involved and now that’s exactly what I’m doing.” 

“You’re not hurting me, Diana,” he insisted with a scowl, his frustration more than evident.

“Yes, I am hurting you,” she stated. “I can see it in your eyes when you look at me. I should have left soon after I found you. I never should’ve stayed or allowed myself to fall for you.”

Bruce huffed in annoyance, averting his eyes as they walked. “I shouldn’t have said anything about wanting to get married. I know it’s too soon to be talking about marriage, but it’s just a natural next step when a couple is having a baby. I guess a part of me hoped that you would change your mind about wanting to return home now that we’re having a baby together.”

“I’m still trying to accept the fact that I can’t return home to the people I love…to Themyscira to my mother and sisters,” she admitted. “It’s been more difficult than I’d thought that it would be. I feel like I’ve lost everything, including a part of myself. I feel like I’ve lost my way.”

“Plus, finding out we’re having a baby now only added to it all,” he added.

“I’ve always wanted to have a child of my own someday,” she admitted. “I just hadn’t anticipated it happening so soon or quite like this. It’s been a difficult adjustment especially given our special circumstances.”

“I’m sorry I upset you,” he softly said. “It was the last thing I wanted to do.”

“I know,” she murmured with a gentle smile. “I’m not saying no to getting married to her someday. I’m just asking that we take this slow and see where it takes us.”

“You’re still holding out hope of being rescued…of someone being able to help you return home,” he knowingly said with a hint of bitterness in his voice, his jaw clenching.

Diana’s eyes momentarily closed as the cramping returned. “I’m sorry, Bruce,” she whispered. “I still want to be able to return home. I haven’t given up on that.”

He had known the countless risks of getting involved with her…knew that she was in love with his twin back in her universe. Still, he hadn’t been able to stop his heart from falling for her. He had been completely truthful when he’d told her that her happiness meant more to him than his own. Still, it was proving more difficult than he’d ever dreamed possible. He’d been fooling himself into thinking he could let her go.

“So, what does that mean for us?” he ventured, bracing himself for the worse.

Diana stopped, turning to face him. “I have no idea, Bruce,” she sadly replied, her eyes brimming with tears as her bottom lip began to tremble. 

Bruce stared at her, feeling as though his life was unraveling before his very eyes. He pulled her into his arms, holding her close as she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. He held her in his protective embrace as she cried, sharing in her hurt. He’d tried so hard to love her without being consumed by it and yet he’d failed miserably. She had come to mean everything to him. 

How could he not love her with his entire being? He’d never met another woman like her, and he knew that he never would.

Diana could feel her heart breaking, the full weight of the utter chaos that she had created by allowing herself to fall for him hitting her like a ton of bricks. She never should have made love with him, giving herself to him and creating a baby together. How could she have let this happen…allowing herself to get wrapped up in him and this world that wasn’t her own?

She had allowed herself to believe him when he’d told her that they could take whatever time they were allowed together. She’d wanted so badly to believe that everything would work out…that she could have what she’d wanted for so long without facing consequences for her actions. 

They could enjoy each other’s company, sharing his bed without any worries while satisfying a growing desire that refused to be ignored any longer. They could just go on with their lives without cost though it would hurt her heart in the end to leave him. Instead, she’d gotten pregnant, making everything so much more complicated.

What happened here was supposed to stay in this world, never to cross universes…or so she had believed. It was like she was living in a dream world where everything was seemingly perfect…where she could have all that she’d ever wanted. But memories of home…memories of family and friends and a man who had always possessed her heart kept reminding her that this was just a different universe where she didn’t really belong.

How had her life become so complicated?

Bruce tightened his hold on her, tilting his head to kiss the top of hers. “I love you, Diana,” he murmured in her hair. “I never meant to make things harder for you. I’ll do whatever you want to do.”

“I love you too,” she replied, pulling back to gaze into his piercing blue eyes that were so familiar to her. Her heart ached for the man that she’d left behind as she stared at the man who had unexpectedly swept her off her feet. “Nothing has to be decided tonight or even tomorrow. Let’s just enjoy each day that we have together and look forward to meeting our baby girl.”

His lips curled with her suggestion, a flood of relief washing over him. She wasn’t giving up on them just yet and he’d never give up on her. “I think that’s a great idea,” he agreed, his lips claiming hers.

Diana returned his kiss only to suddenly break away with a sharp gasp, her hands moving to her abdomen. “Bruce, I think we need to call Leslie,” she said, fear swimming in her eyes.

“Hang on, Diana,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he began to lead her to the car. “I’m taking you to the emergency room.”

“Isn’t this sweet?”

Bruce and Diana stopped short, stunned to find a large man with a gun standing in their path. “Please, I have to get her to the doctor,” Bruce pleaded with the man. “She’s pregnant and—”

“Do I look like I care?” the man spat out with disdain brewing in his dark eyes. “Give me your wallet and your watch.”

Bruce quickly pulled Diana behind him, determined to keep the robber’s attention off of her. “I’ll give you anything you want,” he calmly told him, holding a hand up in front of him. “Just please don’t hurt us.”

“I ain’t promising nothing,” he snapped, waving his gun at Bruce. “Just hurry up.”

“Bruce,” Diana murmured his name as she doubled over in pain. She suddenly felt something wet between her thighs, causing her panic to swell. She was losing the baby.

“Look, honey,” the robber growled. “Let me finish with him and then I’m going to take my time having my way with you.”

“You aren’t going to lay a finger on her,” Bruce ground out with a snarl, knowing that Diana and their baby was in trouble. He needed to do something to end this now.

“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” he snarled as Bruce suddenly lunged at him, grabbing for the gun.

Diana screamed in horror as the robber fired his gun, hitting Bruce directly in the chest. She was incapable of doing anything to help him as the pain in her abdomen dropped her to her knees. The robber stared her down for a long moment before turning and attempting to run away. The Joker showed up at that moment, delivering a right hook that sent the robber reeling backwards into a brick wall.

“No!” Diana screamed as she crawled over to Bruce, gathering him up in her arms.

Behind them, a bright light appeared as a portal opened up, Batman walking through it to find Diana on the ground with a man who looked identical to him in her arms. She was sobbing uncontrollably, her breaths coming in hiccoughing pulls for air as she held him.

“Take care…of Jacey,” Bruce whispered to Diana, his bloody hand coming up to cup her cheek. “You’re so…beautiful.”

“No! Bruce…please…don’t leave me,” she uttered with a shuddering gasp, her tears wetting his face.

“It’s okay, Diana,” he reassured her with a weak smile. “I don’t regret…one moment…of knowing or loving you.” 

“Don’t do this…please,” Diana pleaded through her tears.

“Never forget…how much…I love you,” he murmured as his eyes fell closed for the final time.

Heart-wrenching sobs filled the air as he drew his final breath, Diana clutching him to her chest as she pressed her face into his neck. The pain of her heart breaking paled in comparison to the pain in her abdomen. She knew in her heart that she’d just lost them both, the heartache overwhelming her.

Batman stared in stunned disbelief, unsure of whether to go after the Joker or get Diana out of here. The sight of her so stricken with grief over his doppelgänger’s death had seemingly sucked all the air out of his lungs. It was obvious they loved each other, causing his jealousy to spike painfully over a man who was, in all intents and purposes, him.

The pain of it was swiftly forgotten as Joker slowly made his way towards Diana, drawing closer to her as well only to stop short as the Joker spoke. “I’m so sorry I didn’t get here in time,” he told her with a gentleness that was so surreal to hear from the psychotic clown. He watched in shock as the Joker knelt down next to Diana, placing a hand on her back as he lowered his head. “I’ll never forgive myself for not being able to prevent his death. Bruce Wayne was a very good man…Gotham’s best.”

“It’s not your fault,” Diana murmured as she finally pulled back to gently caress Bruce’s face. There was such a peaceful expression on his face, one that she’d seen countless times in his sleep.

Joker looked up at Batman with a questioning look, unsure what to make of the unexpected visitor. “Diana,” Batman softly spoke her name. “It’s time to go home.”

Diana froze with the sound of the all too familiar rasping voice that she’d needed to hear for so long now. She slowly lifted her head, turning to look over her shoulder at the Dark Knight standing behind her. She could hardly believe that he was actually here. He had come for her…refused to believe that she had died.

“Bruce…” she whispered his name as tears continued to stream down her face, her breathing erratic as her two worlds collided right before her very eyes.

The blood on her face and on her shirt had Batman’s heart hammering with dread, worried about how much was this Bruce’s and how much of it was hers. It wasn’t until she finally released the dead man in her arms and slowly stood to her feet that his heart stuttered out of rhythm with what he discovered.

Diana was pregnant.

He was frozen in utter shock, his heart lodged in his throat. He was stunned speechless by her unexpected condition but even more so by the blood that had seeped onto her pants between her legs. She immediately doubled over in pain again, crying out as she dropped to her knees once more.

Seeing her in trouble, Batman finally regained his senses, rushing to her side. He gently picked her up in arms, holding her protectively against his chest. “I’m here, Diana,” he murmured before racing back through the portal that had brought him to this world, leaving the Joker with a murdered Bruce Wayne in his wake. 

**_Watchtower (MU)_ **

Batman paced back and forth like a caged panther desperately seeking a way of escape, his gauntlets tucked into his utility belt and his cowl against his back. His mind was locked in a vicious cycle, replaying the events of what he’d just experienced over and over again without end. 

What was supposed to have been a happy reunion had been a gut-wrenching encounter that had caused a sharp ache to invade his chest. He felt absolutely gutted by what he had witnessed in the other universe. It had been nothing like what he had dreamed it would be.

He rubbed his face with his hands, trying frantically to erase the images that would haunt him for the rest of his life. It had been beyond surreal to appear in a different dimension to see one’s self lying dying on the ground in the arms of the woman he loved, a victim of a robbery gone wrong.

It rang achingly close to his parents’ murders, making it even more incredible than it already was. He’d always assumed that he would die young because of his nighttime activities, fearing that one day he would be a step too slow or his reaction time a second too sluggish. 

The resulting death would cut his life far too short, but he’d accepted that risk long ago in order to keep a promise to his murdered parents. It was one of the reasons why he didn’t want to become romantically involved with anyone to the point of making a lifelong commitment. There was no lifelong for him…no happily-ever-after. There was the mission and then there was death.

That was until he’d met Diana.

“I can’t believe Diana’s pregnant,” Clark murmured from his seat against the wall in the infirmary of the Watchtower privately reserved for Founders. “It doesn’t make any sense. She was only gone for a little over a month, Bruce. How could she be that far along?”

“I don’t know,” Batman coolly stated, doing his best to keep the mass of warring emotions inside of him at bay. He felt the overwhelming need to beat something. “The universe she was in may have moved at a faster rate than ours.”

“I wonder how long she was in that world then,” Clark replied.

“Well obviously for at least four months,” Batman snapped, not pausing in his pacing and not really wanting to discuss this anymore.

Seeing Diana pregnant with another man’s baby had been devastating for him to discover. The fact that it was another version of him that had gotten her pregnant only helped to ease the pain minutely. She had still been with another man…a man that wasn’t him.

But could he really blame her though after the things that he’d said to her?

“Look, Bruce, I know this isn’t easy for you,” Superman began, standing to his feet.

“Don’t, Clark,” Bruce growled, holding up a hand to stop him from going any farther. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Yah…sure,” he murmured, returning to his seat. “It’s just so unbelievable.”

No more was said, neither looking at the other. Clark could see how upset Bruce was by all that he’d witnessed despite doing his best to hide it. He couldn’t imagine going after Lois in another dimension to find her pregnant. It would have killed him inside and yet, could anyone really blame Diana for trying to make a life for herself?

If Diana had been there for several months or even years, she had probably lost hope of trying to find a way back home. She was doing what she could, trying to make a life for herself. His heart ached for her and how lost she must have felt being in a whole new world.

“I hope Diana and the baby are going to be all right,” Clark said, glancing over at Bruce who didn’t respond. “I’m glad that she was able to find a version of you in that other dimension. He must have been a great comfort to her.”

Bruce snorted as he crossed his arms against his chest. He ground his teeth in anger as he struggled against his jealousy. “Obviously,” he spat out, wanting to know what exactly had happened to her in that other world.

“I know this is difficult for you, Bruce, but let’s reserve passing any judgement until we find out what happened to her in that world,” Clark sternly stated. “We have no idea what she went through there.”

He bowed his head, knowing that Clark was right, but at the same time, he didn’t know if he could handle hearing it. How could he sit there listening to how she fell in love with another man…another version of himself? It was obvious that the other Bruce was willing to give her what he had refused her. 

What other similarities or differences did they possess? What did he have that attracted her to him? Was it something that he didn’t possess?

He knew now what Lord Batman had been trying to tell him before he’d transported to that other universe. He’d been trying to forewarn him that Diana was pregnant and in a relationship with that Bruce Wayne. The information wouldn’t have changed his need to bring her home, but he would’ve been better prepared for what he found when he’d arrived there.

“Was Joker really a hero in that world?” Clark asked.

Bruce turned to look at him, the look on his face revealing just how rattled he was by what he’d seen and experienced. It was unsettling to Clark to witness it in someone who almost always kept his emotions locked away and his features unreadable. There was a haunted look in his eyes that seemed to make them darker, an unnerved expression momentarily flitting across his face. 

“I still wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself,” he admitted. “It was so bizarre seeing him standing there apologizing to Diana for not getting there in time to save Bruce. It was something that I’d said before to other victims. To hear it coming from his mouth…”

Bruce’s voice trailed off with a haunting tone as J’onn appeared from Diana’s room. Clark immediately stood to his feet, his stomach in his boots with what the Martian Manhunter was about to tell them. It was difficult to ascertain anything from his demeanor, but he had a feeling it wasn’t going to be good.

“I’m afraid Diana lost the baby,” J’onn stoically stated. “From what I’ve been able to determine, she never would’ve been able to carry the baby to full term. It was only a matter of time before she lost it.”

“Why?” Clark questioned him, his heart aching for her.

“Diana didn’t belong in that other world…wasn’t a part of it,” J’onn attempted to explain. “The Bruce of that world and Diana’s make up were not compatible. They never would’ve been able to conceive a child together.”

“Do you think it could be due to the fact that the time stream of that universe moved at a faster rate than ours?” Bruce asked.

“That would be my best guess,” J’onn confirmed. “It would also help to explain why she lost her abilities in that universe, but she seems to have recovered them now that she’s home.”

“Is she all right?” Bruce softly asked.

“She’s pretty traumatized by what she experienced,” he told him. “I sedated her. She’ll sleep for several hours, but she will make a full recovery.”

“She shouldn’t stay up here on the Watchtower,” Clark adamantly decided. “She needs someplace where she can take the time that she needs to fully recover both physically and emotionally.”

“I completely agree,” J’onn replied. “She needs to be away from prying eyes and questioning looks from her teammates. I’m putting her on immediate leave until further notice. She’ll have to go through a complete psychological review before I can reinstate her.”

“Can she stay at the manor with you?” Clark asked, looking to Bruce. “I mean she could stay with Lois and me at our apartment, but it’s already pretty cramped and we’re hardly ever home.”

Bruce looked up sharply, his piercing blue eyes narrowing. “Do you really think that’s a good idea after what she’s already been through?” he growled. “She was with Bruce Wayne…probably staying at the manor. Won’t it just remind her of what she’s just lost?”

“It might also bring her a measure of comfort being around familiarity,” J’onn added. “I believe that it would be the ideal place for her to be right now.”

Clark nodded his head in agreement. “Not to mention, Alfred would be the perfect person to help her recover. They’ve been close for a long time. I think he would be a great comfort to her.”

Bruce sighed heavily, unsure of what to do. He wanted her to stay with him because he loved her, but at the same time, how was he going to be able to handle having the woman he loved living in his home after everything that had happened between her and the other Bruce? He was still reeling from the revelation, trying desperately to find some sort of footing right now.

Clark made his way to Bruce, placing his hand on his shoulder. “I think it would be good for the both of you, Bruce,” he gently said. “It’s obvious that what you experienced has upset you as well. It’ll give you both time to heal from all of this.”

Bruce jerked away from Clark, glaring darkly at his friend. “I have nothing to heal from,” he insisted with an unemotional tone that he often adapted to give the appearance of full control. “I’m perfectly fine. Diana is the one we need to focus on right now, not me.”

“Bruce, don’t do this,” Clark countered. “Don’t pretend like you’re fine when you’re the furthest thing from—”

“I’ll call Alfred and let him know that Diana will be coming to stay at the manor for the time being,” Bruce stated.

J’onn and Clark watched as Bruce pulled his cowl back over his face before stalking out of the infirmary. “He’s not going to handle this well at all,” Clark to him. “This could turn out to be a complete disaster.”

“I think it will do them both some good to spend some time together,” J’onn readily decided. “They’ve both been traumatized by recent events but in very different ways. I believe in time they’ll realize just how much they need each other now more than ever.”

“Good luck trying to convince him of that,” Clark muttered under his breath as he walked away, praying that Bruce didn’t run away from all of this.

**_Secret Society (MU)_ **

“If Grodd doesn’t have something good this time, I’m outta here and I ain’t coming back,” Copperhead declared with a hiss.

“It had better not be another stupid plan like the fake gun,” Killer Frost snapped. “That was lame.”

“Yah, I almost goy nabbed,” Copperhead groused.

“You’re lucky I stopped long enough to save your sorry—” Grodd growled as he entered the room, only to be interrupted by a furious Copperhead.

“Because of you, I almost ended up back in prison!” he yelled.

“Sit down and shut up,” Grodd ordered him.

“You had better have something good this time or I’m out of this mess of a society,” Sinestro threatened.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Grodd stated, glaring at each one of them. “You’re all in this until I say you are out…or until I eliminate you myself.”

Everyone stared at Grodd in various stages of shock and fury, but they kept their mouths shut. They weren’t about to try to cross him or they might end up dead or displaced to another universe like Wonder Woman. It was a risk they weren’t willing to take.

“Good,” Grodd said with a gleam in his charcoal black eyes and a smirk on his face. “Now that I have all of your attention, I’d like to reveal my new and improved weapon.”

“Does it actually work?” Giganta asked.

“Of course, it works,” he grumbled in annoyance. “It works even better than the last one.”

“How so?” Shade questioned him.

“Because I helped him design it.”

Everyone froze at the all too familiar voice that belonged to the unexpected appearance of Lex Luthor. “Luthor?” Clayface yelled. “You brought in Lex Luthor to help you? Are you crazy?”

“Crazy like a fox,” Grodd uttered with a wicked grin as Luthor joined him at the head of the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Don't kill me but this was the only way to fix everything. :(
> 
> UP NEXT: Diana struggles to cope with the loss while Bruce struggles to come to terms with Diana's choices.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

**_Watchtower (MU)_ **

Superman flew through the doors of the Founders’ conference room to find everyone assembled around the table save for Diana. He was relieved that he’d finally been able to convince Bruce to be at the meeting. They needed to hear the story from Batman, not him. Besides, he didn’t think he could get through this without breaking down.

“Sorry I’m late,” the Man of Steel announced as he took his seat. “I had to help Mister Terrific with a situation.”

“So, tell us!” Flash exclaimed in obvious exasperation. “Did you find Wondy?”

Superman looked to Batman who was looking as stoic and tightlipped as ever. “He won’t talk…at all,” Shayera informed him as if tattling on the Dark Knight. “He hasn’t said a word since he arrived.”

“We’ve tried everything to get him to talk, but he just sits there like a statue,” John agreed.

“Yah, it’s starting to freak me out even more than I already have been,” Flash replied.

“Batman was able to locate Diana and bring her home last night,” Superman revealed, glancing at Batman out of the corner of his eye.

“Yes!” Flash yelled as he jumped to his feet, pumping his fists. “I’m going to go see her!”

“Sit down,” Batman barked. “She’s not here.”

“What do you mean she’s not here?” Flash demanded to know. “You just said you brought her back.”

“Wally, there’s something that you all need to know,” Clark said. “Diana was four months pregnant when Batman found her.”

“No way,” John muttered in disbelief.

“Good for her,” Shayera uttered with a proud grin.

“Not my Wondy,” Flash adamantly decided. “She’s not the one-night stand kind of girl.”

“It wasn’t a one-night stand,” Batman growled.

“She has been living with the Bruce Wayne of that universe,” Clark calmly revealed.

“About time,” Shayera murmured, pleased that Diana finally found what she had wanted for far too long.

Batman leveled the Thanagarian with a withering Batglare that she ignored. “The universe that Diana was transported to has a time stream that is moving at a faster rate than ours,” he explained. “She said that she has been gone for close to eight months.”

“That’s wild,” Flash gasped. “No wonder she hooked up with that Bruce.”

Batman growled low in his throat, his gauntleted fists tightening beneath the table. “Diana lost the baby,” he revealed.

“Oh no,” Shayera whispered in shock. “Is she okay?”

“Physically, yes,” J’onn informed them. “She is already healing quickly from losing the baby. Unfortunately, she’s enduring great emotional pain.”

“By the time Batman got to her, Bruce Wayne had just been killed by a robber,” Clark continued. “He died in her arms. She lost the baby soon after that.”

“I can’t believe it,” John muttered as he shook his head. “That has to be completely devastating.”

“That is why Bruce has taken her to Wayne Manor to recover,” Clark revealed. “She’s going to stay there for the time being.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” John asked with a frown. “I mean…considering the situation she was in.”

“J’onn feels it would be best for her to be in familiar surroundings right now,” Clark replied. “Alfred and Diana have become close since she’s lived there for several months. He’s thrilled to have her back in the manor and is more than willing to help her recover.”

“I guess that probably would be better than staying up here in her quarters,” Flash admitted with a disheartened sigh. “When do we get to see her?”

“No visitors until Diana says she’s ready,” Batman stated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“That’s not fair,” Flash grumbled as he folded his arms against his chest.

“This isn’t about you,” Batman growled. “It’s about Diana and her recovery. I don’t want her being badgered with questions and visitors. She’s going to need time to get past all of this. When she says she’s ready, I will let you know when you can come visit her.”

“I’ve placed her on a leave of absence until she feels she’s ready to return to duty,” J’onn announced.

“So, are we going to least tell everyone that Diana is alive and that she’s back?” Shayera asked.

“I’m going to make an announcement to the League and the world that Wonder Woman has been found, but is on a personal leave of absence,” Superman said. “No one and I mean no one, Wally, is allowed to tell anyone about Diana’s pregnancy. That is her personal business and no one else’s.”

“Hey, I wasn’t going to say a thing to anyone about it,” Flash grumbled, clearly upset by the assumption. “I wouldn’t do that to Wondy. She’s one of my best friends. I wouldn’t hurt her for the world.”

“We know, Wally,” John said, patting his shoulder. “We just don’t want this getting out unless Diana wants to tell people.”

Shayera scowled darkly at them. “You all act like Diana did something wrong,” she angrily spat out. “She has every right to fall in love with someone and act on that love. You all know Diana doesn’t just love casually or have flings, so he obviously meant something to her. Besides, it’s not like she cheated on anyone.”

Batman refused to meet Shayera’s glare directed right at him, his anger simmering hotly in his core. “No one is saying that about her,” he hissed, not appreciating the unspoken allegation. 

He knew it was his own fault that Diana wasn’t with him before all of this had happened and because of it, he was reaping the consequences for his lack of action. Now, there was a chance they might not ever be able to get past this and move forward together.

“No one thinks Diana was wrong about anything that happened in that dimension,” Clark said, frowning. “We just don’t want rumors being spread about her or assumptions being made. It’s Diana’s decision to talk about if she wishes. For the time being, this information stays here between the seven of us.”

“Has she said anything about what happened in that world?” John asked.

“We haven’t talked to her about it past what we’ve told you,” Bruce stated, trying to keep his temper in check. “We’re giving her some time before getting a full report to file in the Justice League logs.”

“Just don’t treat her like one of your cases, Batman,” Shayera warned him.

“I don’t plan on it,” he countered.

“In the meantime, we are telling everyone she is taking some time away to recover from her ordeal,” Clark informed them.

“Have there been any more signs of the Secret Society or Grodd making a reappearance with that weapon?” John questioned them.

“Yah, it’s been a little too quiet lately,” Flash agreed. “I don’t like it. It usually means there’s trouble brewing.”

“I haven’t heard any rumors on the street,” Clark replied. “There haven’t been any more appearances since their fake gun attack.”

“That was just stupid on their part,” Shayera muttered with a roll of her eyes.

“They clearly thought they could intimidate the League by just brandishing the weapon,” J’onn stated.

“It did work to some extent,” Clark admitted. “We were working overtime trying to avoid that weapon being pointed at us. Because of that, they ended up getting away.”

“The next time could be for real,” Batman informed them. “We need be prepared because Diana wasn’t an isolated incident. There will be more attempts.”

“You think they’ve already built a new weapon?” Flash asked.

“They’ve had plenty of time and we need to be prepared to counter it,” Batman said as he stood to his feet, needing to return to the manor to check on Diana.

They watched as Batman exited the conference room, the tense silence blanketing the room nearly deafening. “He’s not going to handle this very well,” John finally said after several long moments.

“I wouldn’t discount him just yet,” J’onn replied as he too stood to his feet. “He’s had the last month to think about a lot of things.”

“What do you mean?” Shayera asked. “Do you know something you’re not telling us?”

J’onn merely offered her a slight smile before disappearing through the floor of the conference room, leaving the four heroes alone. “I hate it when he does that,” Flash muttered.

Superman shook his head as he stood up. “You know he won’t divulge anything that he inadvertently learns from his friends.”

“I wonder if we could bribe him?” Flash mumbled to himself as he zipped out of the room.

**_Wayne Manor (MU)_ **

Batman appeared in the Batcave on the transporter pad, his expression fixed in a fierce scowl. He immediately began the task of removing his uniform, his mind replaying the Founders’ meeting he’d just left. He didn’t appreciate Shayera’s insinuation about his and Diana’s non-relationship. It was as if she had been pointing the finger at him, saying Diana wouldn’t be going through all this pain now if he would’ve just told her that he loved her.

The whole thing was ludicrous. It wasn’t his fault. He’d been the one searching for Diana for the last month, refusing to give up on her and trying to bring her back home. He already carried a heavy weight of guilt. If he had only gotten to her sooner, she wouldn’t have started a relationship with that world’s Bruce. She wouldn’t be going through this trauma now.

He was really worried about how she was handling the devastating loss. She’d been through so much between being transported to a different world that wasn’t her own, losing the man she had obviously fallen in love with and then to lose their baby. 

While he was still struggling to come to terms with everything, he refused to abandon her. He loved her too much to just walk away now. At the same time, he couldn't just step in to fill that void in her life. She needed time to grieve and he wasn't going to settle for being a substitute of what she had just lost.

After changing into regular clothes, he headed up the stairs into the manor. He hoped that Diana was doing a little better since bringing her here. She’d been withdrawn when he’d first seen her in the infirmary this morning, barely making eye contact with him or speaking to him. He’d told her that he was taking her to the manor to give her some time away to recover. 

She hadn’t argued with him or insisted on staying in her quarters on the Watchtower. She hadn’t done anything but to obediently go with him, transporting directly from the infirmary to the Batcave without a word. Her response was all too familiar to him, reminding him all over again of the loss of his parents.

This was not the same woman that he’d known before Grodd had taken her away from them. She’d been forced to cope and adjust to a completely new universe, to live a life that hadn’t included any of them…hadn’t included him or her powers. It caused his chest to tighten with the thought.

Entering the manor, he followed his nose to the kitchen to find Alfred preparing dinner. “Ah, Master Bruce, your timing is as impeccable as ever,” he greeted him a warm smile. “You are just in time for dinner.”

“Where’s Diana?” he asked without preamble.

“She’s in her room,” he informed him.

“Has she come out since I showed her to her room this morning?”

“I’m afraid not,” he revealed with a disheartened expression. “I’ve never seen her so hurt before. The poor thing hasn’t eaten anything all day.”

“I was afraid of that,” Bruce murmured to himself. “Is that plate for her?”

“In fact, it is,” Alfred confirmed with a nod as he finished preparing a tray. “Would you be willing to take it up to her?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he flatly stated, crossing his arms against his chest. The look on his face spoke volumes as he stared at the tray.

“Why in heaven’s name not?” Alfred demanded to know.

“Alfred, Diana had a relationship with a man who was technically my twin,” Bruce pointed out. “They were going to have a baby together. Seeing me is only going to remind her of him. It’s better if I remain out of sight.”

“Perhaps…perhaps not,” the British butler responded with a frown. “Miss Diana is strong and highly intelligent. She knows that you are not the man she had a relationship with. I believe it would be a measure of comfort to see a version of you that is alive and well.”

“She chose someone else, Alfred,” he ground out, his anger flaring the more he thought about it.

“Ah, but it was you…so to speak,” Alfred reminded him.

“But I’m not him, Alfred,” he stated, a measure of bitterness infiltrating his voice despite his best efforts. “I’ll just remind her of what she’s lost.”

“Master Bruce, I believe she still loves you regardless of what she experienced in that other world,” Alfred told him. “Not even being in another dimension with another Bruce could completely erase that. She just needs a little time to be reminded.”

“It’s too soon, Alfred,” Bruce stated with a shake of his head. “She needs comfort and a shoulder to lean on.”

“Then be her friend and the shoulder she needs right now,” he encouraged him. “Be patient and see where that leads you.”

Bruce’s eyes narrowed suspiciously as he stared down the British butler. “You wouldn’t be trying to play matchmaker would you, Alfred? Because I’m not interested in being a substitute for what she really wants.”

“Who? Me?” he innocently said with faint smirk as he handed Bruce the tray. “Make sure she eats all of it.”

Bruce scowled at him as he walked out of the kitchen with Diana’s tray in hand. He couldn’t believe that Alfred had managed to talk him into taking Diana her dinner. A relationship with Diana after all they’d been through and were wrestling to come to terms with was not going to happen now if ever.

It had felt like the door on their future together had just been slammed shut, locking forever. He had been too late, waited too long to tell her how he truly felt about her. Now, he’d be nothing but a reminder of everything that she’d just lost.

Jealous anger began to bubble up inside of him, threatening to overtake his steel-like self-control. The thought of Diana being with another man was too much to bear, knowing that man was another version of himself made it that much more difficult for some reason. 

He couldn’t help wondering what that Bruce had that he lacked, what similarities or difference attracted Diana to him. Donna had told him that Diana loved him. So had Alfred. If she loved him, then why did she give herself to the other Bruce? Was it to finally have what she thought she couldn’t have with him?

He growled to himself as he climbed the winding staircase, mentally shaking himself. He was going to drive himself crazy with all the questions and self-doubt that continually assaulted his mind and tore at his heart. He’d have to talk to Diana to eventually learn everything that he needed to know…or maybe he didn’t want to know.

Stopping before her bedroom, Bruce gently rapped on the door with his knuckles. “Diana?” he called. Not receiving a response, he knocked again, cracking the door open and peeking inside.

Opening the door, he entered to find her curled up on her side on her bed, staring at the wall on the far side of the room. He smiled to himself to find her wearing his Gotham Knights sweatshirt and a pair of leggings. It reminded him that he needed to have her things moved from her quarters on the Watchtower to the manor for the time being.

He silently made his way to the small table, setting her dinner tray down before pulling a chair up near her bed. He felt completely out of his element but he knew that he needed to try for her sake. They sat there in silence for several long moments before Bruce finally broke the tense silence that had fallen over them. 

“How are you feeling?”

She stared straight ahead for a long moment before finally responding with a muted reply. “I’m all right.”

“It's okay not to be, but I appreciate the effort," he reassured her with a forced smile. “I brought you some dinner. Alfred instructed me to make sure you eat all of it.”

She finally met his worried gaze, the anguish that permeated her eyes almost too much for him to bear, but he forced himself to not look away from her. “He’s been so sweet,” she replied, her voice sounding dead even to her.

“He’s worried about you…we all are.”

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, turning her focus to the comforter that she laid on. “I didn’t mean to upset everyone.”

“Diana, you’re not,” he assured her. “We’re relieved to have you home again. We want you to be all right, but we know it’s going to take some time. You’ve been through a lot.”

“That’s very kind of you, Bruce,” she replied. “I don’t want to impose or make things awkward for you.”

Bruce shook his head as he pursed his lips, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Diana, this isn’t about me,” he insisted. “This is about you and no one else.”

He watched as she continued to stare at the comforter, not really making much eye contact with him. His heart sunk to think that she couldn’t even look at him. He knew this was a horrible idea from the start. He was just making things worse for her. She should have stayed with Lois and Clark.

“I’ll leave you alone,” he muttered as he got up from his chair.

To his surprise, Diana abruptly reached out and caught his hand, forcing him to stop. He stood by her bed with his head lowered as she gripped his wrist, fighting the tumultuous storm of emotions roiling through him at that moment. It felt so good to feel her touch again.

“If I’m making things too difficult for you, I’ll leave, Bruce,” she softly said. “I don’t want to make this any harder for you than it already has been. I can always return to Themyscira.”

Her words were barely above a whisper and yet they felt sharp, cleaving his heart in two. He didn’t want her to leave him again. He slowly turned to look at her before he finally sat back down in the chair, leaning forward again to rest his elbows on his knees.

“You’re not making this hard for me,” he confessed with a sigh. “I just don’t want to cause you any more pain.”

“You’re not,” she murmured, gazing into the eyes that she’d come to love long ago. 

The tension between them was palpable, so much they needed to talk about and yet was left unsaid at that moment. They were only separated by a few feet and yet it felt as though they were miles apart from one another, a gaping chasm keeping them from reach each other. He absolutely hated it. 

Bruce bit his tongue. He had so many questions dancing on the tip of it begging to be asked, but he didn’t want to push her. “If you ever…need to talk…” he began, his voice holding a slight tremor that he hated. It made him sound vulnerable.

He received a slight smile for his offer. “I appreciate it, Bruce,” she replied. “I know talking isn’t your strong suit.”

Bruce paused, searching for something to say to make her feel better, but came up with nothing. “Why don’t you try to eat something?”

“Thank you, but I’m not hungry.”

“You really need to eat something,” he told her as he stood up again.

“Maybe later.”

Bruce studied her for a long moment, the ache in his chest expanding. Seeing her so broken and looking so frail was almost more than he could handle. She was always so strong, her spirit so fierce and her presence so commanding. To see her like this…he needed to help her get back what she’d lost, get past the painful loss. 

And no one knew what that was like better than him.

At the same time, he wasn’t exactly the best person to help her learn to handle the loss. Coping has never been his strong suit and running away from her pain wasn’t an option…unless she decided to return to Themyscira for good. The thought nearly buckled his knees.

As painful as that would be, it might be good for Diana to return to her island home for a while, to spend some time with her mother and sisters. Dick had already contacted Donna who was coming over this evening to see Diana. Hopefully, seeing Donna would be enough to keep Diana here instead of her leaving them forever.

“Please, try to eat a little something?” he asked of her.

She nodded silently as Bruce turned to leave. There was so much more he wanted to say to her, but he couldn’t…not now. There was too much raw emotion, too much hurt they needed to work through. She needed to heal, and he needed to come to terms with the fact she had chosen another man.

XXX

Donna opened the door to Diana’s bedroom, poking her head inside to find Diana still lying on the bed where Bruce had told her he had left her. That had been over two hours ago. She frowned as she spotted the tray of untouched food still resting on the table. She knew it was going to take time and would no doubt be an uphill battle, but she wasn’t about to let her sister stay locked inside her grief.

“Diana?”

Diana looked up to find Donna standing at the foot of her bed, her lips curling slightly at the sight of her sister. “Donna,” she whispered her name as she sat up.

Donna sat on the edge of the bed, the sisters enveloping each other in a fierce embrace. Donna tightened her hold on her sister in an effort to keep from being knocked over by the overwhelming grief that radiated off her sister. It was impossible not to feel it, impossible to buffer it any way. 

“I’m so sorry, Diana,” Donna murmured as she fought back tears. “I can feel how painful this has been for you.”

“I lost him…and I lost our baby,” she whispered. “I wasn’t strong enough.”

“I wish I could bring them back for you.”

“It…it wasn’t meant to be,” she said. “It never should have happened.”

“What do you mean?” Donna asked, pulling back to hold her sister’s face in her hands.

“We were incompatible,” she replied. “We never could’ve had a baby together. His universe moved at a faster pace than ours.”

“Oh, Di,” she softly said. “I’m so sorry you went through all of this heartache.”

“Why, Donna? Why would the gods send me to that universe to find love with a Bruce who actually loved me back…who wanted to be with me and have a baby…only to rip it all away from me?”

“I don’t know why the gods allow some things to happen and other things not to work out,” she gently told her as she stroked her hair. “It makes no sense.”

“I love him…I love both of them,” she softly confessed. “How did I let this happen?”

Donna knew that she meant both Bruce’s. She could feel it inside of her, felt it deep in her soul. Diana genuinely loved both men, not one more than another…one not better than the second. They were both accepted, and both loved for who they were, and what they meant to her.

“I know you do,” she assured her. “Here…lay down. You need to get some sleep.”

“I don’t want to sleep,” she insisted as she shook her head. “If I close my eyes, I’ll dream about him and the baby.”

“I’ll stay with you all night,” she told her. “I’ll be right here with you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Diana reluctantly moved to lay on the bed, her head sinking into the pillow. “I wanted to return home so badly, but now that I’m back, it hurts so much.”

Donna laid down next to her sister, holding her hand. “I know, but each day will get a little better,” she attempted to assure her. “We’re all here to help you through it.”

Diana turned her head to gaze at her sister. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too.”

“I feel like my heart has shattered,” she whispered as her eyes grew heavy.

“I know, Di…I know,” she gently replied as she stroked her hair, relieved when she finally fell asleep.

Donna felt rattled to the core of her being as she watched her sister sleep. She’d never seen her quite like this before. She was always so in control and larger than life. Right now, it appeared as though all the life had just been sucked out of her, leaving nothing more than a broken shell that she barely recognized.

She had to find a way to help put her sister back together again, but she knew it would ultimately take Bruce to do it.

**_Batcave (MU)_ **

Bruce felt the burning fatigue in his muscles, but he ignored it, pushing himself even further as he grappled with everything that had happened over the last twenty-four hours. Breathing heavily, he finally dropped the weights, sweat trickling down his neck and chest.

He wiped his face with a towel as he headed to the shower, unable to get his mind off Diana sleeping upstairs in the bedroom next to his. It was an incredible relief to have her back where she belonged. He’d missed her deeply and now she was finally back, but she wasn’t his like he’d hoped she would be.

Turning the shower on, he stepped under the hot water, allowing it to rinse away the sweat of a workout that had been meant to clear his mind and calm the tempest brewing inside of him. Unfortunately, it had done little to help him.

The palms of his hands came to rest against the wall of the shower as his chin fell to his chest. His heart had felt as if it had been held in a vice-lock, growing ever tighter after she disappeared. Now, she was back, and that vice-lock still had a painful grip on his heart.

He had been prepared to confess his love for her, ready to try to make a life with her. He had never guessed that she would move on in her new world, making a new life for herself with someone who happened to be a different version of himself. He had been reeling since the revelation and yet he couldn’t blame her.

She’d been gone for months in the new world she had found herself in, likely leaving her to believe that she wasn’t going to be returning home. She had no way of knowing that he had been spending day and night searching for her, working tirelessly to rescue her.

His throat constricted as unwanted tears started to build behind his eyes. He loved her with every ounce of his being…still wanted to make a life with her, but how could things possibly work out between them now? He could never be what she had found in that other Bruce, couldn’t give her what he obviously could.

He felt overwhelming helplessness, wanting so badly to take away her pain and yet there was nothing that he could do for her. He just hoped that in time she would be able to recover from the devastating loss, allowing him to be a part of her life in some small way.

Shutting the water off, he exited the shower and dried off, donning his uniform so he could prepare for patrol tonight. He made his way to the platform, needing to check some case files before heading out for the night. He had a couple of cases that he was determined to solve this evening for the sake of the families.

He began typing, interrupted by an incoming message. It was one that he had been expecting. “You found her?”

Batman nodded his head, keeping his expression emotionless. “Diana is safely back home, but Bruce was shot just as I got there. He died in her arms.”

“You’re kidding?”

“No, robbery gone bad,” he told him. “He died protecting Diana.”

“And the baby?”

“She lost the baby,” he informed Lord Batman.

“I had a feeling it would come to that,” he regretfully replied. “That universe she was transported to had a somewhat unstable time stream. It moved too fast.”

“That’s what we determined to be the cause as well.”

“I’m sorry,” Lord Batman stoically stated. “I know it must have been difficult for you finding her like that…watching a version of yourself being shot and dying. Has to remind you of what happened to your parents.”

“I’m fine,” Batman snapped. “Diana is all that matters.”

“Of course,” he said with a nod. “How is she?”

“Physically, she’s almost fully recovered,” he replied. “Emotionally, it’s going to be a long road for her.”

“I can imagine,” he murmured.

“Thank you for all your help,” Batman told him. “I couldn’t have gotten her back without your help.”

“I’m glad it worked,” he responded with a nod. “Bruce, don’t do what we always do and run away from her. She needs you now more than ever.”

“She doesn’t need me,” he uttered with a fierce scowl. “She needs _him_.”

“You may think that now, but don’t give up on her,” he continued, knowing he was treading on dangerous ground.

“Thank you for your help,” Batman abruptly stated. “Batman out.”

Bruce sat there for several long minutes trying to process what Lord Batman had said to him. He had no idea what it was like to be prepared to give his heart to someone only to have it ripped out of his chest. He hung his head. That wasn’t true. Lord Batman knew all too well with his own situation with Lord Wonder Woman and look at them now.

They decided to take a chance and look at how well it had worked out. Maybe he could take a chance too. He growled to himself as he rubbed his face with his hands. His thoughts and emotions were raging like a tempest, swinging one way and then another…hopeful one moment only to grow angry the next.

All he knew in that moment was that he couldn’t give up on her.

**_Batcave (Justice Lords Universe)_ **

Lord Batman sat there for several minutes just staring at the black screen where his counterpart had been before abruptly ending the transmission. He grappled with the urge to contact him again, but ultimately decided not to, knowing that he wouldn’t answer.

Besides, he would only dig in his heels and refuse to change his mind no matter what he tried to tell him. He was just as stubborn as he was which was quite typical of many of the Bruce’s that he’d discovered in many of the other universes. 

He pulled his cowl off with a frustrated growl, tossing it aside. There had to be a way to get through to him, but he had no idea how. He understood all too well how he must feel right now. His gut had clenched when he’d discovered Diana in that other universe, sleeping with the other Bruce and carrying his baby.

He could hardly blame her for trying to start a life in the new world that she had found herself in. The Bruce in that dimension was a gentler, far more open version of himself than the Bruce that she’d left behind. He was willing to love her when her own Bruce had closed himself off to her.

It was unfortunate that Diana’s disappearance had been the key to unlocking Bruce’s heart. At the same time, it gave Diana a small taste of what she’d wanted for so long. It just wasn’t fair. They deserved to know the happiness that he and his Diana had been able to find together. He’d been given a second chance with Diana. He hoped that his counterpart was given that same chance.

The feel of a hand sliding across his shoulder to settle on the back of his neck pulled him from his thoughts. “Penny for your thoughts,” she murmured as her fingers played with the black strands of hair on the nape of his neck.

He slowly shook his head in thought, uncertain about what he should feel at that moment. “Diana lost the baby,” he revealed. “The Bruce in that universe was incompatible with Diana’s makeup.”

“Hera, no,” she softly gasped as she moved to stand in front of him, leaning against the edge of the desk as she folded her arms against her bust. “That’s terrible.”

“It is,” he agreed with a nod. “At the same time, it’s like a reset for both Diana and Bruce…a second chance for them to start anew.”

“I guess it is, but it’s so traumatic,” she agreed. “What about the other Bruce?”

“He was killed,” he explained. “It happened just as Batman arrived to bring Diana home.”

Tears stung Diana’s eyes, wondering how much more could happen to their counterparts. “I can only imagine the pain that she’s going through right now,” she murmured. “At least she has Bruce to help her through it.”

“I don’t know if he’s going to be able to help her much,” he replied. “He’s really struggling with it all. It was a definite shock to find her pregnant with another version of himself dying in her arms. Not to mention, it was robbery like what happened to his parents.”

“I hope he doesn’t push her away,” she softly said, a tear slowly trickling down her cheek.

Bruce reached out and pulled her to him, his arms slipping around her waist as his forehead came to rest against her swollen abdomen. “I’m just so relieved that you decided to take a chance on me,” he uttered with a strangled breath, pausing to kiss their baby growing within her.

She smiled down at him, wiping the tear away before gently stroking his hair. “How could I not?” she asked him. “When everything was stripped away from me, I realized all I had left was my love for you.”

“Yes, but you could have so easily hung on to your anger with me…that feeling of betrayal,” he pointed out.

“I was furious with you at first,” she admitted as she caressed the back of his neck. “I felt so betrayed…probably similar to how Bruce feels now with Diana moving on with another man, but I realized that you betrayed me in order to save me from myself and what I had become.

“You risked me hating you forever in order to save me and the others from the vile beings we had become. When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t even recognize myself anymore. I realized that that was some kind of love that you had for me to do what you did and a love like that doesn’t come but once in a lifetime.”

Bruce lifted his head, a faint smile on his lips despite the worry that permeated his blue eyes. “I do love you,” he confessed. “I wanted my Diana back…not the one that you had become, but the one that I had fallen in love with.”

She smiled softly at him, kissing him gently on the lips. “Don’t worry,” she assured him. “I have a feeling that Bruce and Diana will find their way to each other. They just need a little time right now.”

“How do you know that?”

“Bruce and Diana belong together in every universe,” she lightly teased him.

He snorted in amusement, remembering the various combinations that he had witnessed. “I wish that were true,” he stated, trying to erase the images from his mind of Superman with Wonder Woman.

“If they feel half of what we feel for each other, they won’t be able to ignore it,” she pointed out. “The love they share is still there. It’s just buried right now beneath a lot of anguish and hurt, but they’ll find a way to help each other through it and come out stronger than ever before in the end.”

“How did you become so wise?”

“Blessed by Athena?”

“Oh yah,” he muttered, pulling her down into another kiss that was deeper and longer than the last one.

“Care to continue this conversation upstairs…in our bedroom?” she ventured with a grin.

“I’ll be right there,” he promised her.

She kissed him once more before disengaging from his embrace and heading towards the stairs. He watched as she disappeared upstairs, turning his attention back to his desk. He opened the bottom desk drawer, pulling out a small, navy-blue velvet box.

He opened the top to stare at the large diamond engagement ring inside, deciding tonight was the night that he was going to ask her to marry him. He just hoped that his twin allowed himself the same happiness that he had found with his Diana.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ugh! It's so good to have Diana back where she belongs! Now, we just need to help her heal and find herself again.
> 
> UP NEXT: Clark confronts Bruce about Diana and Diana gets a gentle push from Bruce. :)


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

**_Secret Society (MU)_ **

A chair flew across the top of the table, crashing against the far wall. “I knew it was too good to be true!” Clayface roared. “Grodd made us believe Wonder Woman was gone for good, but she’s back. We’ll never be rid of the Justice League.”

“This whole plan was ridiculous from the start,” Sinestro groused. “I knew it was too good to be true.”

“I was going to get rid of Superman permanently,” Parasite added. “That was just a pipe dream.”

“I think you all need to give Grodd credit,” Giganta interrupted the grumblings around the table. “Something had to have worked because we got rid of Wonder Woman for over a month.”

“Big whoop,” Killer Frost grumbled with a roll of her eyes. “No Wonder Boobs for a whole month. She’s back now and she’s going to be an Amazon on a warpath to take us all out.”

“I think we need to cut and run while we still have the chance,” Shade added. “If we all go our separate ways, Wonder Woman and the League won’t be able to find all of us.”

“Good idea,” Copperhead agreed as he stood to his feet. “I’m outta here.”

“No one is going anywhere,” Luthor stated as he entered the room with his hands clasped behind his back.

“We don’t have to answer to you,” Clayface spat out, his chest heaving with fury.

“Yes, you do,” Luthor responded, pulling a similar looking weapon to the one that Grodd had used on Wonder Woman. “If anyone tries to leave, you’ll find yourself in another universe.”

“Not like you’ll stay there,” Sinestro muttered under his breath.

“That was not our doing,” Luthor ground out. “The League somehow found a way to locate her and bring her back. Do you honestly believe that if I transported you to another universe that the League would come looking for you? They’d be too busy celebrating the fact you were gone to even think about trying to bring you back.”

“So, now what are we going to do?” Giganta asked with a huff as she folded her arms against her chest.

“We continue with our plan,” Luthor announced. “If we hit them fast and hard, there won’t be anyone left to search for them to bring them back.”

“We need to go after Batman,” Clayface insisted. “He’s the brains of the League. Without him, they won’t be able to bring anyone back home.”

“Grodd and I are already working out a plan to eliminate Batman permanently,” Luthor revealed with a wicked grin. “Once he’s gone, it’ll be like shooting fish in a barrel. After that, we go after the president.”

**_Wayne Enterprises (MU)_ **

Bruce rubbed his forehead as he attempted to read the contract again for the hundredth time, but he was finding it more than difficult to concentrate. All he could think about was Diana and how she had moved on with someone else, pregnant with his baby.

It should have been him, but he’d been a coward. He’d let her slip through his fingers and now there was no way that she would ever want to be with him. He had no idea what his twin had that he didn’t, the character traits that had drawn her to him, but he was certain he’d never be able to measure up.

He raked his fingers back through his jet-black hair, releasing a ragged sigh. His mind had been caught up in a constant whirlwind of thoughts since Diana’s return, his heart battling the continuously shifting emotions that besieged him. It left his head and his heart spinning out of control.

Jealousy over the fact that another man had taken her to his bed wrestled with the anguish of seeing her so heartbroken. Anger vied with the shock of her pregnancy; overwhelming hurt grappled with the deep abiding love for her that refused to diminish despite all that had happened.

His battered and beaten heart had finally been ready to confess his love for her, not expecting that she had moved on with another man. It was something that he was struggling to accept and yet he feared he might never be able to get past.

Everything inside of him screamed at him to run away, to disappear and never look back. His heart, on the other hand, refused to give up on her. She had found a way inside of him with scarcely any effort on her part, something that no one had been able to achieve like this before her.

Bruce silently cursed himself as he reached for his coffee to find his cup empty. He frowned as he sat back in his chair, turning to stare out the window at the blue sky. He couldn’t help wondering what Diana was doing at that moment, unsure of how to help her get past this pain.

He brought her to the manor four days ago. She hadn’t left her room since then, not eating anything despite Alfred’s best efforts. It greatly worried him, steadily becoming frantic to find a way to break through her wall of grief. He wasn’t exactly the perfect picture of someone who dealt well with their emotions, even less so when it came to talking about them.

A knock on his door tore him out of his reverie. “Come in,” he called, turning back towards his desk.

His secretary Carrie poked her head inside his office. “I’m sorry to bother you, Mister Wayne, but you have a visitor who insists on seeing you.”

Bruce frowned as he sat up straighter in his chair. “Who is it?”

“It’s Mister Kent from the Daily Planet,” she informed him.

Bruce bit the inside of his cheek, knowing that Clark wasn’t going to go away. He was either going to have to see him now or see him later tonight in the Batcave. This was the lesser of the two evils. “I’ll see him.”

“Yes, sir,” she replied, stepping aside to allow Clark to walk through the doorway.

“Thank you for seeing me, Mister Wayne,” Clark formally greeted him as Bruce stood to his feet, coming around his desk to shake his hand.

“No problem,” Bruce responded, indicating a chair for the reporter to sit in as Carrie closed the door to allow them some privacy. “What do you want, Clark?”

“Good to see you too, Bruce,” Clark quipped as he adjusted his black rimmed glasses.

Bruce drew a deep breath, releasing it slowly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “You obviously came all this way for a reason. I’m assuming it has something to do with Diana.”

“How has she been?” he asked. “She won’t respond to any of my calls.”

“Not good,” he replied, moving to sit on the edge of his desk. “She hasn’t left her bedroom since I brought her home. She doesn’t eat…barely sleeps because she keeps having nightmares. She’s worn the same clothes for four days straight.”

Clark’s heart sunk with the news. “I was afraid of this,” he murmured. “What are you going to do about it?”

“Me?” Bruce snapped. “What do you mean what am I going to do about it?”

“Come on, Bruce,” Clark responded with a scowl. “Everyone knows how close you two are. You’re in love with her and you know she loves you. She needs you right now more than ever.”

“She doesn’t need me,” he spat out. “She needs him…and I’m not him.”

“I understand that, but you don’t believe for one second that she still doesn’t have feelings for you.”  
“I don’t know what to think about anything anymore, Clark,” he bit out as he began to pace. “Everything I thought I knew…thought I believed has been turned upside down. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do or feel right now.”

“Do you still love her?”

Bruce’s head snapped to the side to glare at his friend. “Of course, I still love her,” he snapped. “That has never changed.”

“Then, I don’t see what the problem is.”

“You wouldn’t,” he grumbled under his breath.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Everything is always so black and white for you,” Bruce stated. “You never seen the gray areas.”

“And you always make things far more complex than it should be because you overthink everything,” Clark countered. “You love her. Diana loves you. She needs you now more than ever before so just be there for her.”

“I don’t know how,” he growled as he stopped before the floor to ceiling row of windows in his office, his arms crossing over his chest. “Besides, I don’t even know how she feels about me.”

“Or you’re too scared to find out.”

Bruce grunted as he glanced at him over his shoulder. “When did you become a psychiatrist?”

“Doesn’t it give you any comfort that she basically chose you to build a life with…to have a baby with in that other universe?”

“No,” Bruce bluntly stated. “It makes me wonder what he had that I don’t.”

“Maybe it was simply the fact that he was willing to love her when you wouldn’t.”

“That’s not helping,” he groused.

“Look, Diana did what any one of us would’ve done if we had been in her shoes,” Clark told him. “She tried to make a life in a new world where she had no hope of trying to get back home. She was forced to adapt, and she sought you out to do it. You, Bruce…not me or Wally or John. It was you. It’s because she loves and trusts you more than anyone else. She knew in her heart that you were the only one who could truly help her. That has to be some sort of consolation to you.”

“I guess,” Bruce softly replied, staring out over Gotham.

Clark smiled to himself, knowing that he was getting through to his friend. “Just be there for her…be her friend,” he encouraged him. “I’m sure you two will be able to figure everything else out along the way.”

“I wish I could share your optimism.”

“Please don’t do what you always do,” he told him. “Don’t push her out of your life and walk away. It’s brought you nothing but more pain in the past. Fight for her, Bruce. Just show her that you love her by being there for her and taking care of her. That’s what she needs right now.”

“I’ll think about it,” he finally relented, hoping that Clark would leave. He really didn’t want to think about all of it let alone talk about it. This was so outside of his comfort zone.

“I can’t imagine how hard all of this has been for her,” Clark continued with a shake of his head as he considered all that had happened to her. “First, she gets thrust into a completely different universe, not knowing who she can trust. She has no idea if she’ll ever find a way home, so she’s forced to begin the process of rebuilding her life only to lose the man she fell in love with as well as their baby. Now, she’s finally back home, but I’m sure she’s feeling lost. She needs a sense of security and normalcy in her life, something that she can grasp on to.”

“And that’s supposed to be me?”

“You know she would be right there for you if this had happened to you instead of her.”

“I know,” he confessed, knowing how true his words were. 

“Hey, why don’t you and Diana come over for dinner one night next week?” Clark suggested. “Lois would love to see Diana and I’m sure it would do Diana a lot of good to get out…spend some time with friends who love her.”

“Maybe,” he replied, turning around to face Clark. “Right now, I can’t even get her out of her bedroom. I don’t know how I’m going to get her to go to Metropolis.”

“You’ll find a way,” he reassured him with a grin. “Diana has always responded to you. If anyone can get through to her or talk her into something, it’s you.”

“Did you come all this way just to give me a pep talk?”

“Well, I just happened to be in the area and thought I’d stop by to see how you and Diana were doing.”

“Right,” he responded with a skeptical expression gracing his face. “You could’ve just called you know.”

“And you would have answered if I called?”

“Good point,” Bruce conceded.

Clark stood to his feet, adjusting his glasses once more. “Let me know when a good time would be to stop by to see Diana,” he told him. “I don’t want to push her too much, but I’m anxious to see her.”

“I’ll talk to her and see how she feels about having company.”

“Great,” Clark said. “I’ll see you later.”

Bruce nodded his head as Clark left, leaving him alone in his office once more. He knew deep down that he was going to have to make an effort to reach Diana if he wanted to eventually have a relationship with her. Maybe it was time to actually stop running for once in his life and take a chance on the woman that he truly loved.

**_Wayne Manor (MU)_ **

Diana sat on the balcony of her room that overlooked the sprawling grounds of Wayne Manor, a blanket wrapped around her. It wasn’t that she was necessarily cold as much as she felt a sense of security in the tight cocoon that she had wrapped herself up in. She liked to pretend that it was Bruce’s arms surrounding her, holding her close, but she knew better.

She drank in the pristinely kept lawn that was a bright shade of green, the trees and shrubs trimmed with great precision. It looked immaculate…almost too perfect to interrupt its tranquility by inserting herself into it. At the same time, she found herself wanting to go out to explore the grounds and the surrounding woods that she had discovered the last time she had stayed here. In a way, it reminded her of Themyscira.

She had to admit that she’d greatly missed this place since moving to the new Watchtower two years ago. It had been difficult to move out, a piece of her heart remaining here with the people she loved, but she knew it had been time to leave. It was obvious that Bruce wanted to move on with his life without the houseguests that had occupied his home for over six months.

She’d secretly hoped that Bruce would ask her to stay, but that request never came. In fact, he had gone to work extra early the day that she had moved her things out of the manor and into the Watchtower, making sure that he wasn’t around. She had taken the opportunity to roam around his bedroom—sitting on the edge of his bed, lightly running her fingers over his pillow and bedspread, sniffing his bottle of cologne as her mind took her to a dream yet to be fulfilled.

She knew it had been a silly thing to do, imaging a life that wasn’t meant to be at the time, but was unexpectedly realized in a different world with a different Bruce. It was completely unanticipated, but definitely not unwelcomed. Despite the anguish she was enduring now, she didn’t regret one moment of her other life.

It had been dream-like in every way imaginable, almost surreal as she drifted through each day with the man that she had fallen in love with. She smiled to herself as she thought about him, fondly remembering how excited he had been about their little girl they were going to have.

Diana felt a tear unexpectedly trickle down her cheek, causing her to quickly wipe it away. She had somehow known deep down in her heart that the life that she had been living in that dream world wasn’t a certainty. Despite how right it had felt, it had almost been too good to be true, causing her to fear it was all going to be ripped away from her.

Unfortunately, that was exactly what had happened.

She drew a shuddering breath, knowing that she needed to find a way to deal with this pain, to move on and start her life over again. She was an Amazon after all. She needed to bury her pain, tapping into the inner strength and resilience that had been instilled in her since being formed by her mother.

She hadn’t left her bedroom since Bruce brought her here from the Watchtower. She internally cringed, knowing that she was still wearing the same clothes she had put on before leaving the infirmary. She needed to rejoin the land of the living…take a shower and eat something before she gave Alfred a heart attack. He’d been trying to coax her with some of her favorite foods, but she hadn’t been able to eat anything.

She knew that she had greatly worried everyone these last three…or had it been four days? She shook her head as if trying to shake the cobwebs loose from her mind. She felt as though she’d lost track of time since returning home. It had felt that way too when she had been in the other universe, time moving at varying speeds at any given time. It was quite unsettling now that she looked back on it.

Diana frowned as she thought of Bruce, knowing that she had hurt him. After he had come to see her that first evening, he had stayed away from her. She hadn’t seen him since that night, leaving her to worry and wonder what was going on in that head of his.

She wasn’t certain if he was just trying to give her some space or if it was too unbearable for him to see her like this. She could still see the look of shock and hurt on his face when he’d first discovered she was pregnant, his emotions evident despite the cowl that covered a portion of his face. It was something that didn’t think she’d ever forget.

She had no idea if he actually hated her or pitied her now. It was difficult to tell when he deliberately locked his heart away from prying eyes, refusing to allow any true emotions to reach the surface. She didn’t think that she could bear it if he truly hated her. 

At the same time, she knew she had nothing to apologize for and would not apologize for the choices that she’d made. The few short months that she’d spent with the other Bruce had been amazing, the memories that she had of that time something she would always treasure.

She just hoped that this Bruce would be able to come to terms with it all, someday moving past the awkwardness that had settled between them. Losing his friendship and support would kill her for sure. She needed him in her life even if it wasn’t the way that she had desired for so long. 

“Di?”

She turned her head to see Tim peeking his head out of her bedroom. “Tim,” she said.

“I didn’t mean to bother you,” he quickly apologized. “I just thought you might like a little company.”

“You’re not bothering me,” she told him. “Come sit with me.”

Tim grinned excitedly, slipping into the rocking chair next to her. “How are you doing?” he tentatively asked. “I mean I know how you’re doing. You’re not doing well at all, but I guess I was hoping that maybe you were feeling a little better.”

“I know what you mean and it’s okay,” she reassured him. “It’s been really hard, but I’ll be all right. I just need some time to get past all of this.”

“That’s good,” he said with a relieved sigh. “Everyone is so worried about you…especially Bruce. He doesn’t know what to do for you. I think he feels so helpless right now. He spends a lot of time pacing or in the training room beating on the punching bag. He’s destroyed at least five bags already.”

“I’m sorry to worry everyone,” she replied, her heart sinking knowing that Bruce was struggling with all that had happened. “It’s just been a lot to wrap my mind around lately. I still feel out of sorts…being in one universe for months and then suddenly returning home.”

“I can’t imagine what you’ve been through,” he agreed with a sad shake of his head. “I’d be devastated too if I were you. I’m just so sorry we couldn’t have found you sooner. Maybe there could have been something we could have done to help you.”

Diana reached across to place her hand on his forearm, squeezing it affectionately. “It’s no one’s fault, Tim,” she assured him. “I’ve come to accept that it’s something horrible that happened, and no one is to blame for it. Bad things happen in life that we can’t explain or prevent no matter how badly we want to. We just have to try to learn from them and move on.”

“Yah, but it still sucks,” he groused. “No one should go through what you did, Di. I mean you were so happy with that other Bruce and you two were going to have a baby.”

The corners of her lips lifted slightly with the reminder. “A little girl,” she wistfully revealed. “We were going to name her Jacey.”

“That’s a cute name,” he replied. “I bet she would have been beautiful like you.”

She pulled the blanket more firmly around her as she focused on the flower garden that Alfred worked so diligently to maintain. “I like to think she would’ve been beautiful too,” she softly murmured.

“Can I ask you something?” he asked, continuing on when she nodded her consent. “What was the other Bruce like?”

Diana thought for a long moment, making Tim wonder if she was going to answer him. “He was actually a lot like our Bruce in many ways and yet they were very different,” she thoughtfully began. “He was generous and hardworking, always ready to help someone in need. He had a very compassionate heart…one that he wore on his sleeve, but he could be very stubborn.” 

“You make that sound like a bad thing.”

Diana and Tim looked up sharply to find Bruce standing in the doorway of her bedroom. She looked away, somewhat embarrassed for him to hear her talking about his counterpart from another universe. She was trying to shield him from being forced to hear about his twin unless he asked. She didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable. Things were very awkward between them as it was without adding to it.

“No, not bad,” she replied. “It was just…very familiar.”

Tim stood to his feet, deciding Bruce and Diana needed a little privacy. With any luck, they would be able to work things out between them. Then, Diana wouldn’t have to leave the manor ever again. “I need to go work on my homework,” he announced. “I’ll see you later, Di.”

“Thank you, Tim,” she said as he left, Bruce taking his chair.

They sat in silence for several minutes, neither of them looking at each other before Bruce finally spoke. “I’m sorry,” he softly said.

Diana looked at him, confused by his apology. “For what?”

“I haven’t been a very good friend to you lately,” he admitted, looking out across the lawn. “I should have been here for you the last few days, but I wasn’t. That’s going to change.”

“Bruce, I understand,” she replied. “I know this hasn’t been easy for you either.”

“That doesn’t matter,” he said as he shook his head, his forehead creasing. “You’re all that matters right now, Diana. I guess I just needed a few days to get my head on straight.”

She turned to look at him, hurt swimming in her eyes. “Bruce, I—”

“Don’t, Diana,” he softly said to her. “You don’t owe me or anyone else any explanations.”

She nodded as she drew a shuddering breath, wishing that she’d taken the time to do something about her appearance. She was certain she looked just as bad as she felt at that moment. “You’re still going to want a report of everything that happened in that universe.”

“Yes, but not now,” he replied. “We have plenty of time for you to tell your story. Right now, I just want you to focus on you. You’ve been through quite an ordeal, being torn from your home like that.”

“I missed you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I thought I was never going to see you again…any of you.”

Bruce felt his heart beat a little harder with her confession, hope springing anew in his soul. Maybe he did still have a chance with her. He stood to his feet, moving to stand in front of her. She gazed up at him in question, wondering what he was up to.

“Come,” he simply said, holding his hand out to her.

Diana looked down at his hand, uncertain of what he was doing or if he even knew what he was doing. She finally released her hold on the blanket, allowing her hand to slip out to take his. He gently pulled her up to her feet as the blanket fell away from her body. It felt like she was letting go of her lover to take a chance on the man that she had loved from the beginning.

They stood there for several moments facing one another as he held her hand, staring deeply into each other’s eyes. The swell of emotion swimming in her eyes stole Bruce’s breath, the amount of compassion in his eyes causing Diana’s heart to skip a beat. 

Bruce finally broke the intimate moment, leading her back inside her bedroom and straight to her bathroom. Diana was surprised to find a bubble bath waiting for her. She looked questioningly at him, uncertain of what exactly he wanted. Was he planning on sharing a bath together?

“It’s okay, princess,” he told her, closing his eyes. “Go ahead…get undressed and into the bathtub. I promise I won’t peek.”

Diana stared at him for a long moment, contemplating his offer. She wasn’t certain what he was up to, but the bathtub looked very inviting at that moment. She quickly shed her clothes before climbing into the bubble bath, moaning softly as she submerged herself in the hot water that smelled of roses and vanilla.

Hearing her moan, Bruce opened one eye to find her in the bathtub, her nudity hidden by the bubbles. She was leaning back with her eyes closed, her head resting against the wall. “Take your time, princess,” he encouraged her. “I’ll be back in a little bit.”

She silently nodded her head, not even bothering to open her eyes. Bruce wondered if it was okay to leave her, fearing she was going to fall asleep and drown in the bathtub. Deciding she would be fine for a few minutes, he exited the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

He immediately went to work finding her some clothes to wear. He’d had her things transported to the manor for her, hoping it would help her adjust. Nothing had been unpacked yet, her things still in boxes just as Shayera had packed them for her.

He found a pair of jeans that he’d always loved seeing on her. They hugged her curves like he’d dreamed of doing. Sorting through another box, he found a lacy bra and panty set that he found himself staring at for longer than he should have. He quickly tucked them beneath the pair of jeans so he could focus on finding a shirt.

Looking into another, he stopped short when he found a framed picture of him with Diana at a charity event that they had both attended last year. They had been captured together, laughing as they had danced. He remembered it as if it had just been yesterday. He’d told her a story that he knew would make her laugh just because he loved the sound of her laughter. The evening had obviously meant a lot to her too.

He lightly ran his fingers over the picture, the genuine smile on his face catching him off guard. He looked incredibly happy and content, something that he hadn’t seen in himself in more years than he could begin to count. He knew it had everything to do with her.

He tucked the picture back into the box, his stunned disbelief still lingering as he searched for a shirt. Was it the evening that had meant something to her or had it truly been him? Donna had told him that Diana loved him. He had believed her until he had found Diana pregnant with another man’s baby. After that, he had dismissed the notion of love, refusing to believe that she felt anything for him past a fleeting attraction. 

Now, he wasn’t so sure.

Finally finding a shirt, Bruce reentered the bathroom to find Diana exactly as he had left her. He set the clothes down on the vanity before making his way to the bathtub. “Diana?” he gently called her name. “Are you awake?”

“Sort of,” she murmured, forcing her eyes open.

He sat down on the ledge of the tub, grabbing a cup. “Lean forward.”

Diana willingly obeyed, drawing her legs up and wrapping her arms around them as Bruce turned the water on. Filling the cup, he began to wet her hair, Diana tilting her head back. He took his time washing her hair, gently massaging her scalp before refilling his cup to rinse the soap away.

“Bruce, you really don’t have to do this,” she told him.

“Shush,” he said. “You would do no less for me.”

Picking up a washrag and bodywash, he began washing her back before moving from one arm to the other. He handed her the washrag, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable. “Here, I’ll let you finish,” he murmured, getting up.

He made his way to the other side of the bathroom as Diana finished washing up, grabbing a couple of large bath towels. Returning to the bathtub, he found her already beginning to stand up. “Wait,” he said, opening the towel up before closing his eyes.

Diana couldn’t stop the small hint of a smile that formed on her lips, his modesty touching her heart. “It’s okay, Bruce,” she tried to assure him.

“Just humor me,” he told her as she took the towel from him, wrapping it around herself.

“Everything is covered,” she informed him.

He opened his eyes to find her standing there wrapped in the fluffy towel. She looked breathtaking, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. He gave her another towel to wrap her hair up in, knowing he needed to excuse himself so she could get dressed.

“I’ll let you get dressed,” he said, leaving the bathroom.

Diana stood there for a moment, staring at the doorway he’d just passed through. This was all so unexpected, so unlike the Bruce that she’d come to know and love. She wasn’t sure if he was just doing this because he felt sorry for her or because he actually had feelings for her. It was making her head spin trying to figure it all out.

She quickly dressed, exiting the bathroom to find Bruce waiting for her. “Turn around,” he told her.

She gave him a curious look before finally turning around, more than a little surprised when he began running a brush through her hair. It felt so good having her hair brushed. At the same time, it was almost surreal to have the fearsome Batman brushing her hair and taking care of her like this.

“There,” he finally said. “What shoes do you want to wear?”

She turned around with a frown, running her fingers through her raven mane. “Where are we going?”

“Downstairs,” he matter-of-factly stated as he found the box that held several pairs of shoes.

“I’m not sure—” she began, biting at her bottom lip.

“Definitely not these,” he muttered to himself as he held up the red high heels that she had been wearing that night in Paris when she had returned to her hotel room. “Ah, these will do.”

Bruce straightened up, handing her a pair of slip-ons. She reluctantly took them, putting them on her feet. “I really appreciate all this, but I’m not sure that I’m very good company right now.”

“Too bad,” he replied, taking her hand in his. “You’re eating dinner with me.”

Diana sighed as he led her out of her bedroom for the first time in four days, down the stairs and to the dining room. She glanced down at her jeans and t-shirt before looking back at the elegant setting. “I’m really not dressed for this.”

“Nonsense,” he assured her. “It’s just dinner, Diana, not a charity event.”

She allowed him to pull out her chair for her, sitting down as he pushed it in. “Thank you,” she murmured as she took her cloth napkin and laid it across her lap, feeling awkward.

Bruce took his seat as Alfred entered with a large, covered tray. He had a slight smirk on his lips as he lifted the silver lid to reveal two plates of lasagna, salad, and garlic bread. She couldn’t help the way her stomach growled in response to the food. Alfred’s lasagna was her absolute favorite.

Damian came bounding into the dining room at that moment, pulling out a chair and receiving a heated glare from his father. “You’re eating in the kitchen with Tim tonight,” Bruce informed him.

“Aw, man,” he grumbled, pushing the chair back in before stalking glumly back out of the room.

“Enjoy,” Alfred said before leaving the couple alone.

Bruce poured her a glass of wine before filling his own glass. “I saw Clark today,” he ventured, feeling uncertain of himself and what they were going to talk about, but he was determined to make the effort.

“I feel horrible,” she replied as she poked at her dinner with her fork. “I haven’t returned any of his calls.”

“He’ll get over it,” he told her. “He wants you and me to come over for dinner one night next week.”

“Maybe,” she murmured as she finally took a bite of her dinner. It tasted as amazing as she had remembered.

“We’ll go only when you’re ready or we don’t have to go at all,” he assured her.

“Thank you, Bruce,” she said, meeting his intent gaze as she reached over and covered his hand with hers.

“There’s nothing to thank me for, Diana,” he replied, the truth of his words permeating his azure eyes as he turned his hand over to grasp hers. “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”

A faint smile appeared on her lips as she squeezed his hand, her heart beating a little harder as she lost herself in his eyes. Maybe her future wasn’t as dark as she had believed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I loved how this chapter turned out. *sigh*
> 
> UP NEXT: Diana finally ventures outside the manor and finds herself opening up to Bruce. :)


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

**_Watchtower (MU)_ **

“Shay!” Wally called as he jogged down the hallway.

Shayera looked over her shoulder to find Wally chasing after her. She stopped to wait for him, Flash suddenly appearing at her side in less than a blink of an eye. “What’s up?”

“Have you heard from Wondy at all?” he asked.

“No,” she replied with a shake of her head. “I haven’t tried contacting her yet.”

“You haven’t?” he said. “I’ve tried like sixty times, but she doesn’t respond.”

Shayera frowned at him as she resumed walking. “We’re not supposed to contact her yet,” she reminded him. “Batman and Superman both agreed we needed to give her time.”

Wally’s shoulders sunk as he fell in step next to her. “I know, but I couldn’t help it,” he confessed. “She was gone for so long and I was just too anxious to talk to her. I really missed her.”

“I know,” she agreed. “I actually did try to contact her once, but she didn’t answer me either.”

“You did?”

“Yes, but if questioned, I’ll deny it,” she insisted.

“Oh, yah…totally,” he said. “I wish we knew how she was doing. I think we at least deserve some sort of an update.”

“Actually, I was going to track down Superman to see if he knew anything,” she revealed.

“I’ll come with you,” he told her. “I hope she’s okay. I can’t stand the thought of her being all brokenhearted and crying.”

“I know, but Diana is strong,” she pointed out. “If anyone can find a way through it, it’s her.”

“Well, she’s been back for over a week now,” he replied. “I’m hoping we can at least visit her sometime soon.”

“Do you honestly think Batman is going to let us into his house to visit her?”

“Probably not, but I’m sure if I bug him enough, he’ll eventually cave,” Flash suggested.

“Or dismember you,” she quipped.

“Yah, there is that risk, isn’t there?”

“Bigger than you might think,” she reminded him. “You know Bats isn’t going to handle seeing Diana pregnant with another man’s baby very well. This could really send him over the edge.”

“I don’t know,” Flash thoughtfully replied. “I think we’re selling Bats short. He really loves her. He might just prove us all wrong.”

“I hope so because if he doesn’t, Diana might leave for Themyscira and never come back.”

Flash grabbed her by the arm, abruptly stopping her in the hallway. “You really think Wondy might leave and never come back?”

“There’s always that possibility,” she told him. “She had a taste of what life could be like with Bruce. She might not be able to get over the death of the other Bruce. She might just give up on our Bruce and leave.”

“No, she can’t do that,” he insisted with a frown. “We care about her too. She can’t leave us just because Bats can’t get his head out of his butt.”

“Time will tell,” she said as he walked past him.

“But…she can’t!” he exclaimed as he caught up to her once more. “I need to talk to her right away and tell her not to leave us. She left us once and it was unbearable. I can’t stand the thought of her leaving us again.”

“I know, but it’s not our decision to make,” she reminded him. “Besides, we don’t even know for sure if she will leave. I just said that she might.”

“This just keeps getting worse,” he groused. “First, we lost her and believed she was dead only to find out she was alive in another universe. Bats finally finds her and brings her home only for her to lose her boyfriend and her baby. Now, she might leave us for good. This is just so messed up.”

“Don’t worry, Wally,” she told him. “We don’t know anything so there’s no use getting all upset about something that might never happen.”

“Yah, but now you’ve put the possibility in my head, and I can’t stop thinking about it,” he grumbled as they entered the Monitor Womb.

“Let’s just see if Superman knows anything,” she suggested, spotting him talking to J’onn.

“Thanks, J’onn,” Superman replied. “I’ll check into it and let you know what I find out.”

“Hey, do you have a minute?” Shayera asked the Man of Steel.

“Sure,” he said. “What’s up?”

“Have either of you two heard anything about Diana?” Wally jumped in before Shayera could say a word. “Please tell us she’s not leaving forever.”

“Leaving?” J’onn asked. “For Themyscira?”

“Yes,” Wally confirmed. “Shayera thinks she’s going to leave and never come back again.”

“I never said that,” she ground out, punching him in the shoulder. “I just said it was a possibility.”

“I spoke with Batman the other day,” Superman confessed. “Diana is having an extremely hard time accepting what happened, but we’re hoping that she’ll heal with time. She hasn’t said a word about leaving or going anywhere.”

“See?” Flash said with a scowl as he rubbed his shoulder. “I told you.”

“Don’t make me get my mace out,” she threatened him with a glare, turning her attention back to Superman. “Do you know when we can see her?”

Clark shook his head with a sigh. “I’m sorry but I don’t,” he admitted. “She won’t answer any of my calls.”

“You’ve been trying to call her too?” Flash asked, everyone turning to look at him. “I mean I thought we weren’t supposed to contact her?”

“I know, but I just had to hear her voice…to know that she was at least okay,” Superman confessed. “Batman told me she hasn’t left her bedroom since he brought her home, but that was a couple of days ago. Things might have changed since then.”

“I think all of us should just go to the manor and demand to see her,” Flash said, pounding his fist into the palm of his other hand. “He can’t stop all of us from getting inside to see her.”

“Really?” Shayera asked, a single eyebrow rising in question. “We’re talking about Batman here. The whole manor is probably booby trapped in order to keep everyone out.”

“You think so?” Flash questioned her.

“You really want to try it and find out the hard way?” she said.

“I know that we all are anxious to see her, but we need to consider what is best for her right now,” J’onn commented. “She needs some time and privacy and that is what we need to give her. When she is ready, she will come to us. Until then, we need to be patient with her. She’s been through a very traumatic event.”

“You’re right, J’onn,” Shay reluctantly decided.

“Yah, I guess so,” Flash grudgingly agreed. “I’ll stop trying to contact her.”

Superman put his hand on Wally’s shoulder. “She knows that we all love her and are here for her,” he reminded him. “We just need to give her a little time.”

“It’s just not fair that Bats gets to see her, and we can’t,” Wally grumbled.

“I know, but it’s what she needs right now,” J’onn replied. “In a way, it’s comforting for her to be around him. It’s as if her Bruce isn’t totally gone. There is a part of him living on even though it’s not truly the man she lost. I felt it in her when Bruce came to the infirmary to take her to the manor. Despite her intense anguish, there was an underlying peace when he was near her.”

“That makes sense,” Shayera said.

“This is just so messed up,” Wally huffed. “Poor Wondy.”

“I know, but we’ll help her through it,” Clark reassured him. “She just needs some time to work through it.”

“I hope that’s all,” Wally muttered, turning to walk away. “I’ll be heartbroken if she leaves us for good.”

**_Wayne Manor (MU)_ **

Bruce gritted his teeth as he lifted the heavy barbell a couple more times despite the fatigue that he could feel building in his muscles. Sweat trickled over the muscular curves of his body as he dropped the barbell with a resounding clank. Despite the intense workout, his mind was intently focused on Diana.

He had no idea what to do to help her. After getting her cleaned up and downstairs for dinner with him, she had retreated back to her bedroom. She’d ventured outside of it a couple of times since then, wandering around the manor only to return to her room.

Despite how difficult it was for him, he wanted her to open up to him, to talk to him about what she had gone through. He needed to know what happened in that other universe both for the Justice League but also for him. It would also help her to talk about it. So far, she’d been uncharacteristically quiet, barely making conversation.

Bruce picked up a hand towel, wiping the sweat from his brow. He made his way to the showers, needing to get cleaned up before going upstairs to see her. With any luck, she would be willing to talk to him now especially since Donna had visited her again.

Donna had expressed worry about her sister. She’d never seen like this before, causing her to be concerned about how she was dealing with it all. She’d opened up a little bit to her, but even that had been limited. She’d spent the majority of her time just sitting with Diana holding her hand.

After showering, Bruce quickly dressed, wondering how he should approach this with her. He knew someone…anyone but him was better equipped to talk to her. He should just let Clark or J’onn handle it…maybe even Alfred or Donna. Anyone but him.

Unfortunately, it was him that she needed right now and deep down he knew that he needed her too. There was only way they were going to get through this and that was together. Healing would come through talking, through comforting one another. Hopefully, in the end, it would draw them closer once more.

Entering the manor, he made his way upstairs to find Diana wasn’t in her room. He felt a flash of panic with not finding her there. He saw her clothes were no longer in boxes, causing his panic to rise. Had she left without saying a word? Returning to Themyscira never to come back?

The possibilities caused his heart to quicken as he raced down the steps of the manor, determined to find her. “Alfred!” he yelled as he poked his head into the library to find it empty. “Alfred!”

“Master Bruce, what is it?” Alfred anxiously asked as he hurried down the hallway with a dishtowel in his hands. “What’s wrong?”

“Where’s Diana?” he demanded to know. “I can’t find her. She’s not in her room.”

“She’s outside in the garden,” he informed him. “Is that okay?”

A palpable wave of relief washed over him as his shoulders sank. “Yes, of course,” he murmured, rubbing his forehead.

“Well, I didn’t think she was a prisoner in our home,” he quipped. “She came down earlier for a sandwich for lunch and asked if she could eat it in the garden. I told her that was a wonderful idea. She’s been there ever since.”

“Have you checked on her?”

“Of course, I have,” he stated with obvious indignation. “Don’t think for one moment I’d leave that poor creature out there for hours on end without checking on her.”

“Yes, you’re right…I’m sorry,” Bruce said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I was just worried when I couldn’t find her in her bedroom. All her clothes were gone, and the boxes were empty. I was afraid she had left without saying anything.”

The slight playful twitch on Alfred’s lips went unnoticed by his surrogate son who was staring out the window as if trying to find her. “I believe she put them in the dresser and closet.”

“Good…good,” he muttered, surprised by the unexpected turn of events. “Did she seem to be doing better?”

“A little,” Alfred confessed. “It was great progress that she came out of her bedroom and got something to eat. She still seems locked inside her grief. It’s as if she’s afraid to let go of it for fear of letting go of him and the baby.”

“It’s understandable,” he agreed. “She’s been through so much.”

“It might help to have a friendly ear right about now,” Alfred suggested. “It’s also a beautiful day for a walk.”

“Maybe,” he murmured as he began to head down the hallway. “Make sure there’s a place for her at the dinner table tonight.”

“I always do,” Alfred admitted as he followed him. “She’s only taken us up on it that one time. Let’s hope tonight will be different.”

“I’d do my best but don’t hold your breath,” Bruce groused as he went out through the French doors that led him outside.

He drew a fortifying breath as he made his way to the gardens, more than a little relieved that Diana had finally come out of her room. It gave him a spark of hope that maybe she was beginning to get past a measure of the pain, but then again, it had only been a week ago that he’d found her. He knew from experience it was going to take a lot longer than that for her to recover and heal…if she did at all.

He still carried the scars of his past on his heart and on his body through keeping the promise that he’d made to his parents. He still wasn’t over their deaths, their murders plaguing him in his sleep and rising up like a viper out of nowhere when he least expected it. He just hoped he could keep them at bay for Diana’s sake. This was about her right now, not him and the demons that continued to haunt him.

His heart skipped a beat when he spotted her raven hair as he drew closer. He couldn’t deny how happy he was that she was still here. The thought of her leaving nearly buckled his knees. He couldn’t go through that again…not again.

He silently approached, not wanting to startle her or have his presence known just yet. He wanted to be able to watch her for a moment, savoring the fact that she was truly back where she belonged. She was sitting curled up on a bench, her legs tucked under her and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The cool autumn air caused the ends of her hair to lift, creating an ethereal image for him to behold.

“Hi, Bruce,” she softly said without turning around.

The corners of Bruce’s lips quirked slightly. He should have known she’d know that he was there. “You’re almost as good at that as I am.”

“Almost?”

“I’m still better,” he told her as he drew closer. “Care for some company?”

“I’d love some,” she admitted.

Her voice sounded detached…passive, her blue eyes swimming with anguish. It was as if all the life and light had been drained from her soul, leaving an empty shell behind. It was disconcerting to witness, hardening his resolve to help her find that fire inside of her once more. It was as if she was teetering on the edge of giving up on life. He was intimately aware of that feeling. He’d struggled with it himself at times even now.

He silently moved to sit on the bench beside her, noticing the tray that Alfred had set out for her on the small table before her. A silver tray held a pitcher of iced tea, a couple of glasses, and various sweets that he’d made, knowing she had a hard time passing them up. It looked like a couple of them were missing. He took that as a good sign.

“I love it here,” she commented. “It’s so peaceful and serene. I could stay right here forever.”

Bruce smiled softly in response to her confession as he reached for a cookie. “It was my mother’s favorite spot,” he divulged, pausing to take a bite. “She designed and planted many of these bushes and flowers. The roses were her specialty, though. She did a lot of experimenting with cross-breeding.”

“Really?” she said, surprised. “Which ones are those?”

“Well, let’s see,” he replied as he stood to his feet. He walked across the brick path to a large blooming bush filled with pale yellow roses, the tips of the petals tinted a beautiful shade of bright pink. “This is one of them. She named it Sunset Rose because the yellow and pink colors reminded her of a sunset.”

Bruce glanced at Diana to see a wistful smile touch her lips. “It’s absolutely beautiful,” she told him. “I decided a long time that they were my favorite of all the roses in the garden.”

“You spent a lot of time out here when you lived at the manor before?” he asked as he took his seat once more.

She nodded thoughtfully, glancing over at the hydrangea bush next to her. The colors were beginning to change with the cooler weather. “Quite a bit in fact,” she revealed. “You were usually at work when I would come out here in the afternoons to read or meditate.”

“It’s a special spot to me too,” he told her. “My mother would bring me out here to help her care for her roses when I was a boy. It wasn’t my favorite thing to do back then, but I enjoyed the time I spent with my mother.”

“You two were very close,” she said, more of a statement than a question.

Bruce bit at his bottom lip at he nodded his head, lost in nostalgia as he was taken back twenty-seven years in time. It caused a painful lump to fill his throat. He swallowed it back, not wanting to go there despite the fact Diana was finally talking.

“How are you doing?” he asked as he reached for the pitcher of iced tea to pour her a glass before pouring one for himself.

“A little better I guess,” she responded, her brow furrowing as she focused on the tassels of the blanket draped around her shoulders. She meticulously began to smooth it out as she drew a ragged breath. “It’s…difficult…you know?”

“Far better than most I suppose,” he answered her, taking a drink as he sat down next to her once more.

“I’m sorry, Bruce,” she replied with a scowl on her face. “That was foolish of me. I’m guess I’m just not thinking straight right now.” 

“Diana, it’s all right,” he reassured her. He reached out and covered her hand, stopping her from smoothing out the tassel any further. He laced his fingers with hers. “Everyone loves you and wants to see you, but they understand it’s going to take time.”

She pursed her lips, remembering the countless phone calls from her friends that she had ignored. “I know,” she admitted. “I feel really guilty I haven’t answered their phone calls, but I just can’t bring myself to answer my cell phone. I don’t feel like pretending I’m all right when I’m not. I know they’re desperate for me to be, but I’m just not there yet.”

“It’s all right, princess,” he told her. “I told them not to contact you until I told them you were ready, but they obviously didn’t listen to me. I’m assuming Wally is the biggest offender.”

She smiled to herself with the disgruntled tone his voice took on. “I can neither confirm nor deny,” she quipped, not wanting to get the speedster in trouble. “I know it’s only because they care.”

“Do you feel like talking about it yet?”

She nodded her head, knowing she needed to talk about it. It might help to get it all out once and for all. “After Grodd fired that weapon at me, I woke up in a completely different place,” she began. “I didn’t recognize it, but I immediately knew that something was wrong. I felt…off. I realized I didn’t have my gifts anymore. I knew the first thing I needed to do was to get to Gotham and find you.

“It took me a week, but I finally made it to Gotham. I was walking down the road towards the manor when Alfred pulled off the road and Bruce jumped out. He asked me if I needed help and then everything went black. I passed out or something.”

A million questions began to buzz around in his mind, begging to be answered, but he tamped down on them. He needed to allow her the opportunity to just tell her story without interrupting her or hammering with hundreds of questions.

Diana glanced at him, knowing he had questions. “Bruce was physically identical to you in every way except for the scars you carry from being Batman,” she continued, a blush rising to her cheeks as she dipped her head to hook a raven curl behind her ear. “Well, I mean as far as I know.”

Bruce bit back a chuckle, finding her embarrassment endearing. At the same time, he couldn’t deny the jealousy that suddenly flared hotly in his core. “I get it,” he assured her. “We were twins except for the scars.”

A fond smile touched her lips as she thought about his doppelgänger. “You two were so alike in many ways and yet very different at the same time,” she revealed. “He had a tenderness to him that you don’t allow anyone to see. He’s very compassionate like you, but he doesn’t try to hide it like you do. He’s open and honest about his feelings. He was anxious to love and be loved in return…to have a family of his own.”

Bruce felt his gut clench as she talked about the man she fell in love with. The other Bruce was everything that he could not be for her—open and honest with his feelings, willing to give her what he had refused her, no demons and doubts that threatened to steal his sanity. It was no wonder she fell in love with him.

He had been so ready to give her all that he had, all the love in his heart that he felt for her, but now he feared that it would never be near enough compared to what she had experienced.

“Anyway, I woke up in a bed in one of the guest rooms three days later,” she explained. “I tried everything I could think of to return home, researching every avenue and even asking the Justice Association for help, but they didn’t have the technology advancements that our universe has. I was forced to accept that I wasn’t going to go home.”

“Wasn’t Bruce able to help you?”

“He tried but it was beyond his abilities,” she replied. “He never tried to box me in or force me to stay with him. He was constantly trying to help me find a way home, but it was comforting being in the manor with him, Alfred, and Dick. It felt like being back here again. I didn’t feel quite so lonely and lost.”

“Was there no Diana in that universe? No Themyscira?”

“No, not that I know of,” she said, shaking her head. “There was no Wonder Woman, no Amazons in that universe that I ever found. I don’t know if I never left Themyscira or if the Amazons didn’t exist in that world, but I could never find them.”

“I’m sorry, Diana,” he told her, blown away by what he was learning from her. It had to have been disheartening to be trapped in a world that was not her own. “That had to be so difficult being separated from your mother and sisters.…your friends…the League.”

“I was terribly lonely,” she admitted. “I missed all of you so much. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think of all of you…especially you, Bruce. I was wondered if you were looking for me or if everyone thought that I was dead. I finally had to accept that I needed to start making a life for myself.

“Then, I discovered I was pregnant. That was an unexpected surprise. By the time you found me, I was still trying to come to terms with being pregnant. It wasn’t something that had been planned by any means. It seemed to really complicate things.”

“You mean you weren’t trying to—”

“No,” she quickly set his mind at ease. “It was a complete shock to the both of us, but not necessarily unwelcome. The circumstances could have definitely been better, though. It probably wasn’t the best situation to bring a baby into the world. I guess it was all for the best with how it all turned out.”

“Diana, losing a baby is never for the best no matter the situation,” he adamantly stated. “It had to be devastating for you.”

She tightened her hold on his hand as if hanging on to him for dear life. “No, I’m sorry…I didn’t mean it that way,” she corrected herself with a shake of her head. “It’s just…J’onn told me that my DNA and Bruce’s was incompatible because of the time stream differential. My daughter might have ended up having terrible physical ailments because of it…ones that she might never have been able to overcome. I wouldn’t have wanted her to go through that…to suffer or be in pain because of me.”

“I heard Bruce call her Jacey,” he gently said, watching her expression. He didn’t want to press her more than she could handle, but he was desperate to find out everything he possibly could.

She smiled sadly at him, dipping her head to wipe away a stray tear. “Jacey…short for Jacinda,” she revealed. “That was the name of Bruce’s cousin that he had been close to before losing her in a car accident. He wanted to name our daughter after her.”

Bruce stared at her in disbelief, anxious to find out more about the life of this Bruce Wayne that was so much different than his own. “He had cousins?”

Diana nodded her head as she thought back on her experience in her other world…her other life that had been like a sweet dream at times. “Dick was Bruce’s younger brother,” she revealed. “They argued just like you and Dick here.”

Bruce’s mouth fell open, startled by the revelations that continued to come. “I can’t believe it,” he murmured as he stared out over the garden landscape. “Was there anything else different?”

“Bruce and Dick’s parents had been killed in a tragic car accident when they were teenagers,” she informed him. “I think Bruce was able to get past the loss of his parents because he felt he needed to focus on Dick, making sure that he was all right.

“Dick is dating Barbara who is studying to be a lawyer at the University of Gotham,” she continued. “Alfred was the same as Alfred here. You saw that Joker was the hero of Gotham. Bruce’s best friend was Oliver Queen who is engaged to Dinah. I don’t know if they were Green Arrow and Black Canary in that universe. I never got the chance to find out.”

“I’m glad that you had people around you that obviously cared about you very much,” he confessed. “I was so worried you were in constant danger, having to fight for survival or just to stay alive. At least you were safe at the manor.”

“I was very fortunate, but it was difficult at times,” she admitted. “They treated me as if I were a part of the family which was wonderful, but at the same time, it felt like was living in a dream world. It was surreal at times like I was supposed to be there and yet I knew I wasn’t. It really messed with my head sometimes. It felt as though I was being torn between two worlds.”

“I’m sure it didn’t help that time was moving at a faster pace than here,” he added.

“I’m sure that had something to do with it too.”

They sat in silence for several minutes just enjoying the solitude and tranquility that the garden provided when Bruce finally spoke again. “I’m really sorry about the things I said to you before that mission,” he apologized, his voice choked with regret. “I took my anger and frustration from a bad night on patrol out on you. I said some horrible things to you that you didn’t deserve. I’ll never forgive myself for hurting you like that or thinking that my last words to you were said in anger.”

“It’s all right, Bruce,” she softly replied.

“No…no, it’s not,” he insisted, his brow knitting with anger with himself that was nearly palpable. “None of it was true, Diana. You mean a lot to me…far more than you know.”

Diana glanced at him, wondering if he was saying what she thought he was saying. Her heart began to race with the thought, uncertain of what to say or do. She didn’t know if she could handle it at that moment. Her heart was still hurting so much after losing Bruce. She didn’t think she could handle this Bruce loving her only to lose him too.

“Bruce—”

He held up a hand to silence her. “Don’t, Diana…please…not yet,” he interrupted her, glancing down at their joined hands. “I’m not going to say anymore now, and I don’t want you to respond. Just let me be your friend for now. We’ll take things slow and see where it leads us.”

She slowly nodded her head in response, tears rising behind her eyes. She’d wanted this with him for so long and now it was an actual possibility. Unfortunately, her heart wasn’t ready for something like that. At the moment, it didn’t feel like it ever would be ready. Hopefully, time would prove her wrong.

Despite what had happened in the other universe, she still loved this man beside her with every ounce of her being. Unfortunately, she had loved his twin too. He was no longer with her, but this Bruce was. He was alive and here and hinting at a possible future with her. Was it because it was what he really wanted with her or out of pity?

“Enough talking for now,” he decided. “Let’s take a walk before dinner.”

“All right,” she agreed, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

He didn’t relinquish his hold on her hand as they leisurely made their way through the garden, Bruce pausing to point out some of his mother’s hybrid roses. He found himself telling her stories from his childhood, finding it easier than he’d thought to open himself up to her just a little bit.

“I should tell you something,” he ventured. “Clark wants us to come over for dinner if you’re up to it. Lois and Clark are dying to see you. If you don’t want to go, I’m more than happy to tell them no.”

Diana thought about it for a moment before answering. “Let me think about it,” she ultimately decided. “I know I can’t hide here forever. I’m going to have to see people sooner or later.”

“I can tell Clark you’re not ready yet,” he insisted.

“Let me think about it for a couple of days.”

“You can think about it for as long as you want, princess,” he told her. “If you do decide you want to go, I promise I’ll keep Lois from barraging you with questions. I know how tenacious she can be.”

“Thank you, Bruce,” she replied. “I couldn’t have gotten through this without you.”

“Anything for you, Diana,” he assured her. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Diana sincerely wished she could believe that, but after watching Bruce die in her arms, she found it more than difficult to trust that he would always be here with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I love my Wonderbat couple. They're just so perfect together. :)
> 
> UP NEXT: Batman gets attacked in Gotham. Bruce and Diana go to Metropolis to have dinner with Clark and Lois. How will Diana handle finding out Bruce used to date Lois?


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

**_Gotham (MU)_ **

Batman stood on the top of a building gazing down over his city as he took a moment to regroup. He had thrown every part of himself into patrol tonight, hoping to curb the tide of increased criminal activity that had recently cropped up like weeds.

He was in a constant battle in Gotham, pulling weeds that threatened to choke the life out of his beloved city only for twice as many to take their place it seemed. It was a never-ending fight, but he refused to give up the mission that had started as a tiny seed in his mind, morphing and growing into what it was today.

He allowed himself a little time to think about Diana. He’d forced her from his thoughts as he had started patrol, not allowing her to become a distraction tonight. Now, he could afford a couple of moments to assess how his plan was going so far.

Their talk in the garden a couple of days ago had proven to be a positive step for both of them. While the things that she had told him had been difficult to hear at times, he’d needed to know what had happened in that other dimension. He’d managed to contain his jealousy, but his anger with Grodd for taking her away from him in the first place had only intensified.

But would he have changed his mind about wanting to go ahead and start a relationship with Diana if she hadn’t been taken away?

He knew the answer without having to think about it. In all likelihood, he would have carried on as before, continuing the pull and push dance they’d established a long time ago. It wasn’t fair to her and he knew it. He needed to either do something about his feelings for her or let her go once and for all.

He already knew he couldn’t let her go. The almost five weeks that she had been gone had been unbearable, pushing his sanity to its limits. He knew without a doubt that he couldn’t go through that again. Once had been more than enough to force him to wake up and see what he’d come so close to losing.

He was going to fight for her no matter how long it took. He didn’t want to be a second choice, but at the same time, he knew that Diana wasn’t like that. When she loved, she loved completely and wholly, without wavering or question. If she truly felt something for him, it was real. He just had to help her remember that. 

Batman’s head tilted slightly, hearing the screams just a moment before the explosion. He immediately fired his grappling gun, flying off the ledge and allowing his line to carry him into the night. He landed on another roof, throwing himself off the edge and using his cape to guide his descent.

He landed on the sidewalk as flames climbed up into the sky as smoke billowed out through several broken windows. He didn’t hesitate as he put on his rebreather mask, racing straight into the burning building. He had to find whoever was trapped inside before the whole building came down on top of them.

Thick smoke blanketed the entire area, making it difficult to see as he began searching for the source of the screams. He kicked down a door of an apartment, finding a young woman lying on the floor unconscious. He quickly scooped her up, throwing her over his shoulder before making sure no one else was in the apartment.

The fine hairs on the back of his neck bristled as he carried the woman out, knowing that this building had recently been condemned and slated for demolition next week. Either this woman was a runway hiding out in the building or this was a trap of some kind.

Laying her down on the ground outside of the apartment building, he leaned over her to check her pulse, the woman suddenly morphing into Clayface. “Now!” Clayface yelled.

Batman instantly rolled out of the way, narrowly missing being hit by the same weapon that had taken Diana away. He came up on his heels as he pulled out a Batarang, finding Copperhead holding the weapon. He threw his Batarang, knocking it out of Copperhead’s hand.

“Hey!” Copperhead yelled, shaking his hand before diving for the weapon that had skidded across the ground.

“Get him!” Clayface roared. “I want the Bat gone permanently!”

Batman took up a defensive position behind a large dumpster, trying to ascertain just how many of the Secret Society he was going up against. He wasn’t about to call in any backup just yet, refusing to have any of the League showing up in Gotham even if they were trying to send him to another universe. He was more than capable of handling them himself.

“Where did he go?” Copperhead yelled as he picked up his weapon again.

“He’s over there,” Clayface told him, pointing towards the dumpster. “Don’t let him get away.”

“He’s as good as gone,” Copperhead reassured him as Killer Frost appeared at his side.

“Aren’t you two done yet?” Frost groused. “Take him out already so we can go.”

“We’re trying to!” Copperhead shouted. “Clayface revealed himself too soon!”

“It’s not my fault you can’t shoot,” Clayface growled as he stalked towards the spot where Batman had concealed himself. Coming around the dumpster, he found no one there. “Where did he go?”

“You lost him?” Killer Frost groused. “You two can’t do anything right.”

No one noticed the stun pellets bouncing across the concrete until it was too late. “Run!” Copperhead cried, a bright light exploding around them as a booming noise stunned them all.

Killer Frost immediately created an ice dome around her, protecting her…or so she thought. The deafening sound shattered the ice around her, causing her to crouch down and shield herself from the flying ice shards. “Hey!” she angrily yelled as she stood to her feet.

She threw her hands out before her as Clayface grabbed the weapon from an incapacitated Copperhead who was lying on the ground twitching. Ice spikes began to rain down on the area in hopes of drawing out the Dark Knight, but to no avail. 

Clayface yelled as he ducked for cover. “Watch where you’re shooting those things!”

“Well, stay outta my way!” she snarled at him.

“Did you see where he went?” Clayface demanded, turning in tight circles with the weapon gripped in his hand.

“Don’t you think if I knew where he went that I’d have him in a block of ice by now?” she snapped.

“Just keep your eyes open,” he warned her. “The Bat can be anywhere and everywhere.”

“I think you give him too much credit,” she uttered with a scowl. “He’s nothing special.”

“You don’t know him like I do,” he ground out. “He’s very dangerous.”

Hearing a thud, Clayface whirled around to find Killer Frost out cold on the ground. He could see no visible signs of injury leaving him to wonder what the Batman had done to her. “Come on, Batman!” he bellowed into the night sky. “It’s just you and me. I promise this won’t hurt a bit.”

“No, but this will,” Batman growled, causing Clayface to turn around in time to receive an electrified brass knuckles to the face.

Clayface dropped to the ground like a wet bag of sand, the weapon slipping from his hand. Batman quickly picked it up and put it safely into his utility belt to examine later. “This turned out to be a productive night,” Batman said to himself as he began restraining all three villains.

**_Batcave (MU)_ **

Superman flew through the secret tunnel of the cave, needing to see what Bruce had found out. He’d woken up this morning to the news that Batman had singlehandedly captured Killer Frost, Copperhead, and Clayface last night. He was anxious to see what he had discovered.

With any luck, they would be that much closer to shutting down the Secret Society and ending this nightmare. He hoped while he was here that he could also see Diana. He didn’t know how much longer he could wait to give her a hug and welcome her home.

Finding Batman bent over one of his workstations, he silently approached knowing that Bruce had known he was there long before he’d entered the secret entrance. “You had quite the night,” Clark told him as he landed behind him.

“I’m busy,” Bruce muttered, still dressed in his uniform.

“You haven’t gone to bed yet?” Clark asked him with a frown. “You know you’re going to kill yourself off one of these days if you don’t slow down a little bit.”

“I got one of Grodd’s weapons,” he flatly stated.

“You’re kidding?” he said, coming to stand beside him. “What have you found?”

“It’s definitely a dimension transportation weapon,” he replied. “This is the second reincarnation so I’m not sure what the original one was supposed to be or meant to do.”

“Well, we know it transported Diana,” Clark stated, turning to lean against the edge of the workstation as he folded his arms. “I wonder if that was Grodd’s intention all along.”

“We won’t know anything until we can get one of them to talk,” he told him.

“Not saying a word?”

Batman shook his head as he reached for a thermos of coffee. “Nothing,” he spat out, clearly angry about the situation.

“They obviously have a plan in mind,” Clark thoughtfully said. “I don’t like it that they went to Gotham to target you. They’re after you now for a reason and I want to know what that reason is.”

“I have some ideas, but I don’t know anything concrete yet,” he told him.

“I know you’re not going to like this suggestion…”

“Then don’t bother saying it,” Bruce interrupted him.

“Don’t you think we might get somewhere if we let Diana interrogate one of them?” Clark continued. “I mean it could rattle them if Diana walks into the room with her lasso in hand.”

“Not going to happen,” Bruce stated.

“But we could finally get some much-needed information.”

“I’m not going to put Diana through that,” he bit out. “She’s not ready, Clark. She just started going outside two days ago. She’s not ready to see people yet.”

“No go for the dinner with me and Lois?”

“She’s thinking about it, but I wouldn’t hold your breath if I were you.”

“Is she getting any better?”

“A little,” he admitted. “She’s still having a difficult time coping. It’s like a part of her is still lost in that other world. She’s keeping her emotions locked inside of her, not letting them out. When she speaks, her voice is flat…her blue eyes listless. What she went through crushed her spirit.”

“We need to help her somehow,” Clark murmured, hurting deeply for his friend.

“I’m working on it,” he told him. “I’ll let you know if I find out anything more about the weapon.”

“Can I go up and see Diana?”

“You can try,” he said. “I can’t guarantee she’ll see you.”

“I have to try,” Clark insisted as he began to make his way to the stairs. “She’s my friend. I know she’d do the same for me.”

Clark entered the manor to the smell of breakfast, reminding him that he hadn’t had anything this morning yet. He’d been too anxious to get to the manor to talk to Bruce. “Mister Kent,” Alfred greeted him as he exited the hall with a tray in hand. “Master Bruce alerted me to your arrival. Would you be so kind to take this upstairs to Miss Diana?”

Clark couldn’t help but notice the twinkle in the British butler’s eyes. “I’d be more than happy to, Alfred.”

“It’s the third door on the left, next to Master Bruce’s bedroom,” he informed him. “There is a plate for you too if you’re interested in eating with Miss Diana.”

“Alfred, you’re indispensable,” Clark told him before flying up the stairs to Diana’s room.

Clark knocked on Diana’s door, being bid entrance. Balancing the tray with one hand, he opened the door and poked his head in. “Hey, could you stand a little company for breakfast?” he asked with a grin.

“Kal,” she murmured his name as she finished pulling her hair up into a ponytail.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I just had to see you,” he said as he put the tray down.

Clark immediately wrapped her up in a bear hug that would’ve crushed a normal woman. Diana returned his embrace, burying her face in his chest. They stood like that for several long moments before Clark kissed her on top of her head before finally releasing his hold on her.

“It’s so good to see you, Di,” he told her. “I’ve missed you so much…we all have.”

“I’ve missed everyone too,” she replied, heading to the table and sitting down.

Clark followed her, sitting down across from her before removing the cover on the tray to reveal two plates loaded with breakfast. “Alfred is amazing,” he muttered.

“That he is,” she agreed as she picked up a fork and took a plate. “He’s been practically forcing me to eat. There’s no way I can eat all of this, though.”

“We’re all worried about you…especially Bruce,” he confessed as he dug into his breakfast. “We love you and want to see you well again.”

“I know, but I’m just not there yet,” she admitted, her gaze focused on her plate.

“It’s going to take time,” he reminded her. “Don’t push yourself to do anything you’re not ready for.”

Diana shook her head as she pursed her lips, her forehead creasing in that telltale way that revealed she was struggling greatly. “I have to, Clark,” she softly said. “I’m an Amazon. We push through the pain, bury the hurt and move on.”

“You know that’s not exactly healthy,” he replied, reaching across to take her hand in his. “Doesn’t that sound a lot like Bruce? Look where it got him. He’s a psychiatrist’s biggest challenge and greatest nightmare.”

The faintest of smiles graced her lips, but never reached her eyes, further breaking Clark’s heart. Bruce was right. It was as if something inside of her had truly died. He just hoped she would be able to find a way to recover whatever she’d lost when Bruce brought back home.

“It’s the only way that I’ve known for a thousand years, Kal,” she pointed out. “It’s been drilled into me for as long as I can remember.”

He watched as she picked at her breakfast, taking just enough bites to keep everyone’s worry at bay. There had to be way to break through the pain…through the shell that she’d locked herself away in…and bring back the Diana they all knew and loved.

“Hey, why don’t you and Bruce come for dinner tomorrow night?” he suggested. “Lois is dying to see you. We’ll get Chinese. It’ll only be the four of us, so you won’t be overwhelmed.”

“I don’t know, Clark,” she said, her lips curving into a frown once more. “I’m not sure I’d be very good company.”

“You know Lois will probably do all the talking anyway,” he reminded her. “I promise you that I’ll keep a tight rein on Lois—no questions, no interrogation, no front-page story. It’ll just be friends getting together for the evening. You can leave any time you want to.”

She thought about it for a moment before finally responding. “Okay,” she relented. “I need to start getting out before Bruce loses it.”

“You know it’s only because he cares so much about you.”

“I know,” she softly murmured with a nod. “I care about him very much too.”

“I’ll let Lois know,” he said as he stood to his feet. “I need to get going. If I don’t show up in the office in the next ten minutes, Perry will have my head.”

“Go,” she told him. “I’ll be fine.”

“I know you will, Di,” he replied with a smile. “You’re the strongest of any of us and I don’t just mean physically. You’re going to come through this stronger than ever before.”

“Doesn’t feel like it right now.”

“I know it hurts, but there are people here that love you just as much as they did,” he reminded her. “Just remember that.”

She nodded her head as he left, thinking about what he had said. Did he know more than he was letting…something that Bruce may have revealed to him? Bruce had told her a couple of days ago that he cared about her more than she knew. Could it possibly be love?

She shook her head as she got up from the table, refusing to consider it. She wasn’t ready to deal with something like that let alone think about it. She was going to take her time, grieve the loss of Bruce and their baby…the friends that she had left behind before thinking about the future. 

After that, she had no idea, but she wasn’t going to let herself get hurt like this ever again. It was more than her heart could bear.

**_Metropolis (MU)_ **

Bruce glanced at Diana out of the corner of his eye. He couldn’t help noticing how beautiful she looked tonight despite the aura of sadness that seemed to encompass her. “Are you sure you’re up to this tonight, Diana?” he asked as they drew near to Lois and Clark’s apartment building. “Just say the word and I’ll hit the gas. Have you back in Gotham before you know it.”

She gave him a tender smile, her eyes revealing the myriad of emotions roiling inside of her at that moment. “I would love nothing more than to say take me home, but I really need to make myself do this,” she decided. “I need to get out around people again no matter how difficult it may be.”

“I’m really proud of you, princess,” he praised her. “I know this isn’t easy for you.”

“Can I ask you something personal?” she tentatively ventured.

“You can try,” he replied, a sudden wave of apprehension threatening to rise up within him.

“What did you do right after your parents died?” she softly asked. “How did you handle it?”

“Well, I was only eight-years-old, so I had no idea how to handle it,” he hesitantly said, knowing she needed him to be as transparent as possible with her. He just hoped it didn’t end up causing him more nightmares later tonight. “Mostly I just stayed to myself, didn’t really talk to anyone…not even Alfred at first. I pretty much just stayed inside the manor. I didn’t want to do anything or go anywhere. I had nightmares every night…still do.”

He couldn’t believe that he’d just admitted that to her. He never talked about the horrible nightmares that still plagued him even after all of these years. It was something that was very personal to him, something that he didn’t share with anyone. It left him feeling so vulnerable and out of control. He absolutely hated it.

The only ones who knew about them was Alfred and, of course, the boys, but they never talked about it. They all knew he’d refuse to ever discuss it with them. He was certain that Diana had been aware of them from her time living in the manor during the construction of the second Watchtower, but she’d thankfully never asked him about them.

“So, I’m not going crazy,” she murmured to herself. 

Bruce reached over and took her hand. “I know you feel like you are, but you’re not going crazy, Diana…far from it,” he reassured her. “I’m afraid it’s just all a part of the grieving process.”

She nodded her head as she turned to gaze out of the passenger door window at the passing city. She didn’t release his hand, taking comfort in his presence and his touch. She’d missed him so much when she’d been taken away and now, she missed his twin almost as much.

“I’m having nightmares,” she softly revealed without turning to look at him, her focus on the Metropolis scenery.

“I know,” he informed her, his voice barely above a whisper.

Bruce parked his car across the street from Lois and Clark’s apartment building. Getting out, he jogged around his car, opening her car door for her. They crossed the street together, stopping to push the button to notify their hosts that their company had arrived.

“Hey, guys!” Clark’s voice greeted them. “Come on up.”

The door buzzed, alerting them they had been granted entrance. Bruce held the door for Diana before following her inside. They took the elevator up to their floor, neither saying a word. The silence wasn’t necessarily awkward as both were consumed with their own thoughts at that moment, neither noticing they hadn’t spoken a word since the car.

Exiting the elevator, they made their way to the apartment. Bruce instinctively took her hand in his, sensing her growing anxiety the closer they got to the apartment. “Hey, it’s going to be all right,” he reassured her. “I’m right here. Just let me know when you’re ready and I will get you out of here before Lois can finish a sentence.”

“Thank you, Bruce,” she murmured.

Finding their apartment, Bruce lifted his hand to knock just as the door swung open to reveal a beaming Clark standing in the doorway. “I’m so glad you’re here,” he said, stepping aside to let them enter. “Lois is just finishing in the kitchen.”

“I thought you were getting Chinese,” Bruce replied.

“We are, but Lois picked up something special for dessert as well,” Clark revealed with a grin, drawing Diana into a hug. “You look so great, Di.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“Hug me and I’ll show you my pretty green rock,” Bruce flatly stated, his expression showing he was serious.

“I didn’t plan on it,” Clark tried to tell him.

“Yes, you did,” Bruce said.

“I did,” Clark confessed, leading them to the small dining room table. “Have a seat. I’ll go get the wine.”

“Diana!” Lois greeted her as she came out of the kitchen with the takeout dinner. “You look fabulous.”

“Thank you,” Diana responded with a forced smile as Lois hugged her. “You look great as well.”

“I’m so glad Bruce was able to bring you back home,” she told her. “He was going out of his mind with you gone.”

“I was not,” Bruce stated with a dark frown.

“Oh, don’t try that whole dark and broody thing on me,” Lois replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Clark told me you were a wreck.”

Bruce leveled Clark with a terrifying Batglare, forcing Clark to sheepishly look away. “It slipped out,” he tried to tell his friend, shrugging his shoulders.

“You can’t keep anything to yourself,” Bruce groused. “I heard you spilled the beans to Wally, John, and Shayera about Diana being alive less than three days after I told you not to.”

“How did you find out?” Clark asked.

“I have my ways,” he said.

“You have the entire Watchtower wired just so you can listen in on everyone’s conversations, don’t you?”

“Is that Lo Mein?” Bruce asked, making his way towards the table.

A genuine, small smile found its way to Diana’s lips despite her best efforts as she gazed at Bruce. Hera, she had missed this man so much. He was so complex and complicated and enthralling, captivating her with his mystique from the very beginning. It had only grown since that first meeting, becoming stronger and deeper. He was a magnificent enigma that she was enjoying unraveling. Every time she learned something…uncovered a different facet of his personality…she found herself wanting to know even more.

Clark smiled to himself as he noticed the way that Diana was looking at Bruce. It was the first real smile he’d seen in his friend. The underlying heartbreak was still there, but now there was a little something else…something akin to maybe peace. It gave him hope that maybe Bruce could truly help her get past her pain. Maybe together they could learn to deal with both their losses.

“I’m famished,” Lois announced as she took her seat at the table. “Let’s eat.”

Diana took her seat across from Lois, taking the glass of wine from Clark. “This looks great,” she said.

“I got a lot of everything,” Lois replied. “I didn’t know what you liked so eat up.”

“Would like some chicken fried rice?” Clark asked Diana, offering her a heaping spoonful. “Maybe you’d rather have some plain rice instead?”

“How about some Mongolian Beef?” Lois offered, trying to put some on Diana’s plate. “Or would you prefer Sweet and Sour Chicken?”

“Diana is fine and more than capable of putting her own food on her own plate,” Bruce sternly announced. “She’s not going to break.”

Diana bit her bottom lip in mild amusement as she glanced at Bruce who was clearly annoyed by the suffocating attention that they were showering her with. “It’s okay,” Diana said. “I’ll take a little of both.”

“Sorry, Di,” Clark apologized with a sigh. “You just look so…so…”

“You’re far too skinny,” Lois boldly interjected. “We need to put some meat back on those bones.”

“It doesn’t have to all be done tonight,” Bruce groused, trying to temper his scowl. “Give her some space.”

Lois glared at Bruce as she passed the Lo Mein. “So, what’s new in the world of Bruce Wayne? Any new corporate takeovers you’d like to divulge? Any big stories coming out of Gotham that you’d love to spill the beans about?”

“If I did, I don’t believe I’d tell them to you, Lois,” Bruce shot back. “I don’t want any potential business deals ending up on the front page of the Daily Planet.”

Lois gave him a look of feigned hurt. “That’s just cold, Bruce,” she replied. “We’ve been friends for a long time. I thought I’d get at least a little bit of insider news once in a while…you know throw your ol’ pal Lois a bone.”

“Just because we went out on a couple of dates doesn’t mean I’m going to give away all of my secrets,” Bruce pointed out.

“I’ve never told anyone that you’re Batman,” Lois reminded him. “Doesn’t that count for something?”

“Wait…you two dated?” Diana asked, stunned by the revelation as she looked from Lois to Bruce.

“It was nothing,” Bruce grumbled, mad at himself for mentioning it.

“He asked me to move to Gotham with him,” Lois informed her. “I turned him down. I didn’t want to get caught up with a superhero especially one as dark as this one.”

“And yet you are caught up with a superhero,” Bruce stated.

“Oh, I see,” Diana softly said.

“Can we change the subject?” Clark asked. “I don’t particularly like hearing about how you dated Lois before me.”

Bruce smirked at him as he took a bite of his Lo Mein. “Jealous, Clark?”

“You have nothing to be jealous about, honey,” Lois reassured him as she patted his arm. “You two are total opposites.”

Diana focused on her dinner, trying to process the unexpected news. She felt a wave of jealousy over the fact that Bruce had dated Lois before, but she knew it was in the past. Lois was with Clark and had been for some time. Still, it prickled her pride a little knowing he’d gone out with her, going so far as to ask Lois to move to Gotham when he wouldn’t even go out on a single date with her.

What was wrong with her that Bruce didn’t want to be with her?

Bruce couldn’t help but notice the change in Diana’s mood. It had been understandably less than spectacular before, but now it was just plain abysmal. She looked almost mad, not the least bit interested in the conversation that was taking place around her. 

He wished he could talk to her, tell her that Lois didn’t mean anything to him, but now was definitely not the time or place. “So, when are you two going to move out of this apartment and get yourselves a house?” Bruce asked, needing to find a new topic fast.

“Well, we’ve done some looking here and there, but nothing serious,” Clark admitted.

“We’re not really in a hurry to move out and make house payments,” Lois told him.

Bruce frowned as he took another helping of chicken fried rice. “And how is that any different than paying rent every month?”

“It’s not, but there’s more risk attached to it,” Lois countered. “The heating could go out…the pipes burst or a roof leak. Here, it’s their problem. In our own house, it’s our problem.”

“Bruce, did you find out anymore from the weapon you recovered from Clayface?” Clark questioned him.

“Not yet,” Bruce tightly replied, casting a sidelong look at Diana.

“I’m sure none of them are talking or divulging anything,” Clark said with a frown. “Maybe I should try questioning one of them.”

Bruce snorted in amusement. “If I didn’t get anything out of them, you certainly won’t be able to.”

“Sometimes a soft hand can work magic compared to a terrifying growl,” Clark maintained.

“Right,” Bruce retorted with a roll of his eyes.

“Wait,” Diana interjected. “What weapon? What happened?”

“It’s nothing,” Bruce told her with a dismissive wave of his fork.

“Clayface, Killer Frost, and Copperhead went to Gotham a couple of night ago to target Batman,” Clark divulged. “They were trying to use the same weapon on him that Grodd used on you.”

“Bruce, why didn’t you tell me?” Diana asked. “You could have been hurt or even worse. You could’ve been transported like I was.”

“I’m fine,” he reassured her, noticing a spark of emotion that had been missing since he brought her home. “They couldn’t get a clean shot off.”

“Still, you should have told me,” she countered, lips pursing in disapproval. “I could’ve tried to help you.”

“No way,” Bruce adamantly stated. “We just got you back. We’re not risking you being transported again.”

Diana didn’t argue with him or try to prove that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. It took them all by surprise. This wasn’t the same woman who had been taken from them, so fierce and fearless…so fiery and stubborn. She was broken now, trying to find her way through a life that was irrevocably changed.

Clark decided a change in topic was definitely needed at that moment. “Hey, did you hear how the mayoral race is heating up in Metropolis?” Clark asked. “Looks like it’s going to turn pretty nasty.”

“You know I found some pretty reliable dirt on Mathis,” Lois said with a smirk. “I’m taking him down once I finish my article.”

Clark gave Lois a competitive grin. “My article is going to kill your article,” he claimed. “I did a follow up story on that mysterious downed satellite. Turns out it was used to spy on the United State.”

Diana listened as the three of them spoke of current events, feeling very much like an outsider. She’d felt like an outsider in the other universe and now she felt that way back in her own world. She’d missed out on so much while she had been gone, events that had taken place that she had no idea about as life had moved on without her.

She felt an overwhelming sense of bewilderment welling up within her. It didn’t feel as though she belonged anywhere anymore. It was unnerving to say the least, leaving her feeling vulnerable and unbalanced. She wasn’t used to feeling this way. She’d always been so strong and in control. 

Now, she felt nothing like that.

The foundation beneath her feet had given way, leaving her in a freefall that she couldn’t begin to stop no matter how hard she tried. She needed to find a way to regain her footing once more. So much had happened in such a short time, more than she could begin to cope with.

She needed to find her anchor again. When she had been transported to the other world, she had found that anchor in that world’s Bruce, giving her something to grab on to in order to help ground herself and give herself a sense of normalcy. He had provided her the sense of stability that she had needed to try to find a way home.

Glancing at the man sitting to her right arguing with Lois about the national deficit, she knew in her heart that she had found her anchor once more. She knew her true strength would come from within, but in the meantime, she knew she had Bruce to lean on even if she did want to hit him at that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Looks like Bruce has some explaining to do!
> 
> UP NEXT: Bruce forces Diana to finally let her emotions out. Will he survive the encounter? Diana makes a decision. :)


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

**_Wayne Manor (MU)_ **

Three weeks. 

It had been over three weeks since he had found Diana and brought her home. There had been little improvement since then save for the fact she was no longer keeping herself locked away in her bedroom all the time. She was spending some time outside or in the library reading books, but very little past that.

Bruce imagined it was somewhat therapeutic spending time in the garden or reading, but still he couldn’t help worrying incessantly about her. She mostly spoke when spoken to and even that never turned into any sort of in-depth conversation. She was so quiet it was almost easy to forget she was living in his home.

He was desperate to see her smile again or to hear her lilting laughter that never ceased to always stir something inside of him. He longed to banter with her like they always used to, riling her up and sitting back to watch her fiery spirit take over. He loved the way her eyes burned like blue infernos as she talked passionately about what she believed in.

Now, there was none of that. She was an empty shell of the woman she had once been, making him that much more determined to find a way to bring out the emotions that she had locked away deep inside of her. He understood all too well how she felt. 

He’d not only lost his parents, but he’d also lost Jason who had been like a son to him. He knew that pain far too intimately. He also knew that locking up and burying that pain was not the answer. He’d learned that difficult lesson the hard way. Because of it, he’s alienated people that he’d held dear, not only locking away the pain but his heart and himself as well. He’d missed out on so much in life because of it.

Now, he was struggling greatly to break that stubborn pattern, forcing himself to open up to the woman who had captured first his attention and respect and then his heart long ago.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“Getting the training room ready,” Bruce said without looking up from what he was doing.

“Looks like you’re getting ready to go to war,” Damian commented. “Can I train with you?”

“Not this time,” he replied.

“Then, who are you…oh, wait…I get it,” Damian responded with a smirk. “You’re going to try to get Diana down here to spar.”

“That’s the plan,” Bruce muttered with a frown as he inspected a couple of pairs of Escrima sticks before picking up a baton.

“You honestly can’t believe that you’re going to get her down here,” Damian said with unmistakable disbelief.

“I do believe I can, and I will,” he insisted.

“She doesn’t do anything but mope around the manor,” he told him.

“Damian, she’s dealing with a great deal of pain,” Bruce evenly stated, giving his son a piercing glare. “She needs our support and compassion right now. It’s going to take time to get past the loss.”

“Yah, I guess,” he muttered with a shrug of a shoulder.

Bruce’s expression softened a little as he turned his attention back to the training equipment. “We just need to be patient. She lost her baby and the man that she loved.”

Damian snorted softly, chuckle escaping. “Doesn’t it bother you at all that she was with another man in that other universe?”

Bruce ground his teeth, trying to forget that part. He was trying to focus on Diana, not the fact that she had given her heart and her body to another man. Then again, how many times had he done the same thing to her over the last four and a half years, going out with all those women while she was forced to watch.

They had never meant anything to him, but some women from his past had. Andrea, Talia, Selena. They had meant something to him on some level, had a son with Talia. How was what Diana had gone through any different from his own life?

“Yes, it does, but it doesn’t make me love her any less,” he found himself confessing as he stared at the nunchucks in his hand, stunning them both. “She didn’t belong to me when she was taken away to that other universe. She owed me nothing.”

“Still sucks,” Damian mumbled.

Bruce silently agreed but was determined to turn things around for both of them no matter how long it took.

“She’s in the library if you’re looking for her,” Damian told him as he turned to leave.

Putting the nunchucks back up on the wall, he exited the training room, hoping his plan worked. He had to do something to pull Diana out of her shell that she’d locked herself up in. He knew the dangers of locking away painful emotions and not facing them head-on. He wasn’t about to let her go down the same dark path that he had traversed since losing his parents.

Jogging up the steps into the manor, he made a beeline for the library, finding Diana curled up on one of the couches with Pride and Prejudice in hand. She’d been slowly making her way through the classics since she first came to live with them during the building of the first Watchtower. It looked as though she was continuing that journey.

Diana looked up as Bruce approached, the faintest of smiles gracing her lips. “Hi,” she softly said.

“Come with me,” he replied, holding out his hand to her.

Her forehead creased with confusion as she sat up a little straighter. “Why?” she asked. “What are you up to?”

“You’ll see,” he told her. “Come with me.”

She stared at him for a moment, weighing her choices. She ultimately decided to give in despite wanting nothing more than to stay where she was at. She hadn’t felt like doing much in a long time. Now was no different as she closed her book with a sigh and set it on the coffee table.

She flipped the blanket off her lap before taking his hand and letting him help her to her feet. “What are you up to, Bruce?”

“You’ll see,” he replied with a grin as he tightened his hold on her hand, leading her out of the library and towards the grandfather clock.

She frowned as he led her down the steps and into the Batcave, flashbacks of the other Bruce’s cave appearing in her mind. It made her heart momentarily clench with grief, but she was able to push it aside as they walked past the giant penny and the T-Rex. Those had definitely not been in his twin’s cave.

This was nothing like the other cave. This was all Batman in every way imaginable.

“Go change,” he told her, releasing her hand. “There are clothes laid out for you in the changing room.”

“Bruce, I really don’t feel like—”

“Go,” he insisted, moving to stand behind her and giving her a gentle shove in the direction of the changing room.

“Fine,” she muttered as she walked towards the indicated room.

Diana found a pair of workout leggings and a fitted tank top laying on the bench in the training room. She had a feeling she knew what he was up to, but she was reluctant to participate in his plan. She did appreciate his effort, though. It was very sweet of him to try.

“I don’t know about this, Bruce,” she told him as she changed into the outfit that he’d left for her.

“Trust me,” he reassured her. “You’re going to enjoy it.”

She walked out of the changing room, her hands finding her hips. “You know I was getting to the best part of Pride and Prejudice.”

“You can finish it later,” he replied. “Right now, we need to get you back in shape.”

“But I’m not out of shape,” she insisted with a frown as he took her to the training room.

“Did you train at all in that other world?” he asked her as he made his way to the kendo sticks.

“Well, no…not exactly,” she conceded. “I was too busy trying to find a way home. Still, that doesn’t mean I’m not ready for a fight.”

“True, but you didn’t have me there to spar with you or your sisters,” he pointed out as he tossed her a kendo stick.

“I’m not sure I’m up for this, Bruce,” she tried to tell him as she caught the kendo stick in the air. “I’m just not ready to be Wonder Woman again yet.”

“No, not today…probably not even next week,” he agreed, “but you’re going to need to train and practice, so you’re ready when you do decide to return to the League.”

She frowned as she looked at the kendo stick in her hand, knowing deep down that he was right. Still, she wasn’t in the mood for this. At the same time, she knew that she needed to push herself to do what she needed to in order to be ready.

Bruce had been targeted by the Secret Society in his own city while on patrol. He could’ve been transported to another dimension like she had been, lost to them forever. She needed to be ready in case he was targeted again. He’d never ask for her help, but she would be there if he needed her.

He’d worked tirelessly over the five weeks that she had been missing from his world in order to bring her back, the only one believing that she was alive. For that, she’d be eternally grateful. Now, he was trying to help her be the person that she had once been. She just didn’t know if she would ever be that person ever again or if she even wanted to.

Bruce watched her for several moments, witnessing the internal battle playing out inside of her and on her face. He thought for certain she was going to throw the kendo stick down and just walk out, but to his surprise and satisfaction, she instead assumed a fighting stance.

“I can’t guarantee anything,” she softly said, her expression far from aggressive or threatening.

“Just try, princess,” he encouraged her with a grin as he brought the kendo stick to rest vertically across his body. “That’s all I’m asking of you.”

Knowing she wouldn’t make the first move, Bruce lunged at her, the sound of his kendo stick cracking against hers echoing throughout the training room. Diana frowned as she pushed back, her effort not up to her usual level of antagonism and competitiveness. 

Whatever fire that had burned inside of her before died along with Bruce and her baby, but Bruce was going to find it and force it to the surface even at the risk of his own life.

He quickly came at her again, forcing her to retaliate and defend herself against his attack. She began to move her feet as she blocked each strike, her timing slightly sluggish, but Bruce knew it would come back the more she sparred with him. 

She was a fierce warrior at heart, and nothing could ever completely destroy that. It was innate in her, something deeply rooted within her that relentlessly pumped through her veins. It was a commonality that they shared. He just needed to help her remember that.

Growing a little frustrated with her lack of aggression, Bruce decided to up the ante so to speak, knowing that pushing her buttons was the only way to get the response that he wanted. He feigned an attack with his kendo stick to her left as he suddenly swept her legs out from under.

Diana fell hard on the mat on her backside, somewhat surprised to find herself lying on her back staring up at the ceiling of the training room. Her frown grew deeper as she took Bruce’s outstretched hand, allowing him to help her up. She picked up her kendo stick again, wondering how she could’ve missed his sneak attack like that. In the past, she would’ve been prepared for it.

“Point,” Bruce told her with a smirk. “That was far too easy. Alfred could take you down.”

Diana shot him a dirty look, not appreciating his insinuation that her abilities were not up to par. It prickled her long dormant ire. “It was just a lucky shot,” she tried to tell him.

Bruce snorted in amusement as he began to circle her, cockily spinning his kendo stick in his hand, knowing it would only irk her. “If you say so, princess,” he retorted. “So far, I must say I’m not overly impressed, though. I wonder if I found the right Diana to bring back home. Maybe I had the wrong universe…or the wrong Diana.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” she demanded to know.

“You have yet to show me any of the fire or the skill that I’ve come to know and greatly respected in you,” he explained, suddenly coming at her again and taking her down once more in the blink of an eye. He moved to stand over her, the end of his stick pointed straight at her throat. “Point.”

She swatted his kendo stick out of her face with a huff, annoyance beginning to bubble up inside of her. “I admit I’m not myself yet,” she confessed as she took his hand to get to her feet. “Just give me some time and I’ll—”

Bruce swept her legs out from under her once again, his kendo stick in her face once more. “Point.”

“Would you stop that?” she snapped, pushing his stick away as well as his extended hand this time. Getting to her feet by herself, she picked up her kendo stick and squared her shoulders. “I just need—”

Bruce didn’t let her finish, coming at her hot and hard with his kendo stick. He forced her to react with hard, sharp movements, knowing that the warrior within her was struggling mightily to break free from the prison she’d locked it away in along with all of her emotions. He was going to break through that wall whether she was ready or not. He loved her too much to sit back and let her go on like this.

The sharp snaps of the kendo stick connecting reverberated through the room, their breathing growing a little more exerted with every contact. Bruce could see a slight spark begin to ignite in her eyes the more he pushed her, her strikes becoming a little more forceful.

She narrowly missed Bruce’s kendo stick connecting with her head, jerking back at the last possible second. She growled to herself, her annoyance turning to anger with herself for nearly allowing Bruce to win yet another point against her. She was far better than this, far more skilled than she was exhibiting now. It made her that much more frustrated with herself and what she was going through.

Diana gritted her teeth as Bruce began to push his attack, backing her further and further into the corner. “I guess I’ll have to find…someone else to spar with,” he challenged her. “I need someone…who will be…a real challenge.”

“Give me a chance,” she bit out. “I’m a little rusty, okay?”

“At least you can admit it,” he said. “I wonder what Hippolyta would say…if she saw you now.”

“Don’t bring my mother into this,” she warned him, doing her best to defend herself.

“Why not?” he pushed. “Would she be disappointed…with how you’ve handled everything?”

Diana sneered at him as sweat began to trickle down the side of her face. “Don’t go there, Bruce,” she hissed, knowing he was backing her into the corner in more ways than one.

“Go where?” he innocently asked, grunting with the force of her counterstrike. “I just can’t help but wonder. What happened to the Amazon warrior I knew…the one who captured my attention and respect…almost from the moment I met her?”

“I’m not…that person…anymore,” she ground out, the heel of her foot brushing against the wall behind her. “She lost too much…endured too much.”

“Get over it, princess,” he coldly retorted. “We’ve all lost loved ones. How does this make you any different from the rest of us?”

Fury erupted like a volcano inside of her as she felt her back hit the wall behind her. Her sapphire eyes became twin orbs of blazing fire as a deadly battle cry tore from her throat. “You don’t know my pain!” she screamed, hitting his kendo stick with her own.

“You don’t know what it feels like to lose a baby that was never meant to live in the first place…never be able to hold her or see her!” she yelled as she pushed her attack.

“You don’t know what it’s like to lose someone you were never meant to love!”

“You don’t what it’s like to be torn from your home only to find yourself in a different world with no hope of returning to the people you love!”

Another crack of the kendo sticks, each contact growing fiercer than the last one. “You don’t know what it’s like to love someone, but they refuse to love you back!”

Bruce nearly stumbled with the force her attack, quickly righting himself in time to defend himself. This was what he had wanted, but now that he had it, he was a little worried he wouldn’t be able to survive the onslaught. Still, he’d do whatever it took to save her from her demons.

“What did Selena have that I don’t?” she yelled

Crack.

“What did Lois have that you don’t see in me?”

Smack.

“What about Talia?”

Thwack.

“Why am I not enough for you?” she screamed as tears began to stream down her face. “Why didn’t you want me?”

Bruce felt his heart breaking for her as she poured out her heart to him, each strike of her kendo stick pushing him that much further across the training mat. He wanted nothing more than to stop, to take her into his arms and never let her go, but she needed to get this out. After that, he’d be there to hold her and help her put the pieces of her heart back together again…if she didn’t hate him after this.

“I loved you and you just pushed me away!” she cried. “What’s wrong with me?”

“Diana—”

“You didn’t want me!” she screamed. “I finally found someone who did, and he died. I couldn’t save him…I couldn’t save my baby. I couldn’t protect them. Why couldn’t I have just died with them?”

Her words were like a knife slamming into his chest as her kendo stick connected with his, shattering both of them with the sheer force of the blow. Bruce fell backwards, a large piece of the stick hitting him in the face. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to catch his breath. The thought of Diana wanting to die nearly broke him in two.

Seeing what she had just done, Diana dropped to her knees with body-wracking sobs that stole her breath. Bruce used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe away the blood from his lip before crawling over to Diana. He knelt before her, gently pulling her into his arms.

She drew back, punching him in the chest hard enough to steal his breath but not nearly hard enough to crush his sternum. “How could you do that to me?” she demanded to know, drawing a shuddering breath.

He grabbed her wrist before she could hit him again, knowing she could break his arm if she really wanted to. “I had to,” he adamantly stated, taking her tear-streaked face in his hands. “You locked all of your pain inside of you. You refused to let it out or deal with it. I’m not about to standby, and watch you become anything like me. I refuse to let you do that. 

“Diana, you are everything that is good and pure and light in this world. You are everything that I wish that I could be, but I’m not and that’s because I let the pain eat away at my soul. It left a dark void in me that will never heal but knowing you has come as close to filling that void as anything I’ve ever known in my entire life.”

“I made such a mess of everything,” she confessed as her eyes fell closed, tears wetting her trembling lips.

“No, it just feels like it,” he insisted as his thumb attempted to erase the tracks of her tears.

She pulled out of his embrace before getting to her feet. “I…I think I’ve had enough for one day,” she told him as she slowly walked towards the door.

“I’m sorry, Diana,” he said as he watched her walk away. “I’m sorry I had to push you like that. I was trying to save you from yourself.”

She paused, her hand coming to rest against the doorframe. She turned to look at him over her shoulder, anguish permeating her blue eyes as tears began to fall again. She simply nodded her head before walking away, leaving him standing there all alone.

Bruce rubbed his face with his hands before raking his fingers back through his hair. It had been one of the hardest things that he’d ever had to do, but it had gone better than he’d hoped. She hadn’t killed him and as far as he could tell, she didn’t seem to hate him for it. It gave him hope that he still had a chance with her.

XXX

Diana sat on the floor of her shower with her legs drawn up and her arms wrapped around her knees, hot water pounding down on her. She felt so lost, wrestling with the overwhelming emotions that had broken free inside of her. They churned and roiled like a stormy sea that refused to calmed. Now that they had been released, she was finding it more than difficult to lock them away again.

She knew that she needed to face them, but she was struggling to find a way how to. She knew in her heart that Bruce was right. She was an Amazon warrior. She had somehow forgotten that while she had been in the other universe with no gifts, no enemies to fight, no Wonder Woman to save the day. 

She had been a normal woman in that world, one who had been allowed to live a regular life with no League duties and no Amazons to remind her of her heritage. There was no mission of peace, no fight for justice. No one recognized her when she went out.

She had somehow lost a part of herself those eight months that she had lived another life, loving a man she was never meant to have a happily-ever-after with. She was home now, though. She needed to remember who she was and where she had come from. She needed to remember her mission.

Coming to a sudden decision, Diana stood to her feet and finished her shower, drying off before getting dressed. She had a plan in mind, a new direction in her life. She knew that Bruce wasn’t going to like it, but she had to do this. It was the only way that she could find herself again after losing so much.

Diana flew down the stairs to find Bruce getting a bottle of juice out of the refrigerator. “Do you want something to drink?” he lamely offered, uncertain of what to say after what happened in the training room.

“I’m going back to Themyscira,” she bluntly announced, studying Bruce for his reaction. 

His cobalt eyes hardened like steel, his jaw growing rigid as he opened his bottle of juice. She could tell he wasn’t happy with her decision, but she needed to do this not only for herself but for him as well. He deserved far more than she was able to give him right now or anyone for that matter.

“Are you sure you want to leave now?” Bruce questioned her.

“I need to see my mother and sisters,” she explained. “You and Alfred have been wonderful, but I need to remember my heritage and the reasons I became Wonder Woman. I lost a part of myself in that other world and…then I lost them. I need to find myself…find my way again. Please understand that I have to do this.”

“I know…a part of me has always known,” Bruce softly replied, not meeting her gaze. “How long will you be gone?”

“I’m honestly not certain,” she confessed as she closed the distance between them, her hand moving to cover his resting on the countertop. “I promise you, Bruce, it’s not forever. I won’t do that to you.”

He silently nodded his head in understanding, fighting back the thick knot of emotions stuck in his throat. He lost her when he’d told her he didn’t want to have anything to do with her. Then, he lost her when Grodd transported her to another dimension. Now, he was losing her all over again. 

It hurt like hell.

“Bruce, I’m not doing this to hurt you,” she told him. “I’m doing this for me…and hopefully for us someday.”

He suddenly turned and pulled her into a fierce embrace, holding onto her with everything he had. He didn’t want to let her go, but he knew that he had to. It was best for her and that was all that mattered right now. Hopefully, some day when she returned, he’d be able to tell her just how much he truly loved her.

“When will you leave?” he asked as he forced himself to release her.

“Now,” she replied. “The sooner I leave the sooner I can come back.”

“I hope you find what you’re looking for,” he told her, the tips of his fingers tracing the curve of her face.

“Me too,” she murmured as she took his hand, squeezing it before turning and walking out.

Little did she know she was taking his heart with her.

**_Watchtower (MU)_ **

“This is bogus, man!” Wally spouted, his arms crossing against his chest like a petulant child.

“Wally, Diana is doing what she feels she needs to do right now,” Superman reminded him. “I personally think it’s the best thing for her.”

“Yah, but we just got her back and now she’s gone again?” Wally groused. “We didn’t even get a chance to see her or talk to her.”

“She wasn’t anywhere near ready,” Clark pointed out. “Even when I saw her, she just wasn’t herself at all. She wasn’t the Diana that we’ve all come to know and love.”

Shayera didn’t appear to be any happier than Wally at that point. “How do we even know that she’s really going to come back?”

“Diana said she would come back, and she does not lie,” Batman evenly stated.

“She could change her mind, though,” Wally pressed. “This really sucks.”

“Look, I understand it’s not the outcome that we had all hoped for, but I have a feeling Diana will come back better than before and ready to rejoin the League,” Superman tried to reassure them.

“While we all miss her, I believe returning to Themyscira is the best medicine for Diana,” J’onn agreed, glancing at Batman.

Despite Batman’s typical iron control over his heart and mind, J’onn couldn’t help but feel the wave of worry and loneliness that the Dark Knight was struggling with. Diana’s absence was weighing heavily on him though he was doing an admirable job of hiding it from everyone else.

“So, do we have Donna Troy join us until Diana returns?” John asked. “I think that we need to do something especially since they targeted Batman in his own city.”

“Donna is ready to step in,” Clark revealed. “I held off on giving her the green light because Bruce found Diana, but I agree that we need to do something now. It’s becoming too dangerous.”

“Bring her in,” Batman stated. “We need her strength and skills especially when the Secret Society strikes again.”

“Don’t you mean ‘if’?” Wally asked.

“No…when,” Batman insisted. “They won’t stop until we put a stop to them.”

“So, how do we stop them when we don’t know when or where they’re going to strike next?” Flash posed the question everyone was thinking.

“We need to draw them out,” Shayera told them. “It’s the only way.”

“And how do we do that?” John asked.

“We give them Bats,” Flash suggested, everyone turning to look at him in disbelief. “What? That’s who they went after this last time. We should use him as bait.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Superman thoughtfully replied.

“I’ll handle the Secret Society myself,” Batman rasped.

“You can’t do that!” Flash cried, sitting up straighter in his chair. “They’ll do to you what they did to Wondy except you won’t be here to rescue yourself.”

“I already took down three of them myself,” Batman pointed out. “I’ll take the rest of them down myself if I have to.”

“You can’t do it by yourself,” Superman said. “It’s too dangerous.”

“Then, when you come up with a viable plan, contact me,” Batman snapped as he stood to his feet and stalked out of the conference room.

“Is it me or is Bats extra cranky today?” Flash asked.

“Listen, we need to come up with a plan to find the Secret Society before they can strike again,” Superman told them. “We can’t just sit back and wait for them to come after us. We need to be proactive on this.”

“I’m going to interrogate the three that Batman captured in Gotham,” Shayera volunteered.

“If Bats couldn’t get anything out of them, what makes you think you can?” Flash demanded to know.

“This,” Shayera replied, laying her mace on the conference table.

“You’re not allowed to use violence to get information,” John reminded her.”

“I know,” she claimed, “but there’s nothing that says I can’t threaten them with it.”

“I’ll go with you,” John decided. “Might not hurt to have some backup.”

“See what you two can find out, Shayera,” Superman said. “I’ll get Donna Troy up to speed and have her here for our next meeting. In the meantime, everyone needs to be hypervigilant. The Secret Society can show up at any time.”

“I thought things would get better once we got Wondy back,” Wally grumbled as he stood to his feet. “Boy, was I ever wrong about that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Awww, Diana left, but I promise it won't be too long.
> 
> UP NEXT: Bruce struggles with Diana's absence while Diana has a heart-to-heart with Phillipus. :)


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

**_Blackgate Penitentiary (MU)_ **

“You know you really didn’t have to come along,” Shayera said with a frown as she glanced at her handsome teammate.

“I wanted to,” John insisted. “It never hurts to have a wingman when you’re doing an interrogation.”

“I have my wingman,” she told him, palming her mace.

“You know what I mean, Shay,” he muttered in irritation.

“I still could have handled it myself…but I guess the company is appreciated,” she said with a small smirk.

John smiled, keeping his eyes focused straight ahead. Things between them had been going rather well since his breakup with Vixen, giving him hope that he might be able to still work things out with the beautiful Thanagarian. She had claimed his heart long ago and not even Vixen had been able to change that fact.

They walked in silence the remainder of the way, both getting lost in thoughts about the other and what had been steadily growing between them again. While both were anxious to pickup where they left off, neither of them wanted to jump right in out of fear of ruining the deep friendship they’d been able to rediscover lately.

“If anyone is going to crack, it’s definitely going to be Copperhead,” John said as they approached his cell.

“He’s not as difficult to deal with as Killer Frost and Clayface,” she agreed.

“Don’t get your hopes up about getting anything out of Copperhead,” John warned her. “If Batman wasn’t able to get much of anything, I highly doubt we will.”

“Batman has his methods…I have mine,” she replied with a gleam in her green eyes.

“Did Thanagar allow you more freedom in an interrogation then Earth does?”

“Let’s just say that there weren’t very many cases that I wasn’t able to close with a little persuasion.”

“Okay, that just gave me a chill,” he muttered as they stopped before Copperhead’s cell.

They gazed through the special plexiglass at the reptilian villain who was taking a nap on his bed. Shayera raised her fist and knocked, but the only response they received was a muttered “leave me alone” from Copperhead who didn’t even open his eyes to see who had come to see him.

“Wake up, sleepy head,” Shayera stated, a fierce glare fixed on her face. “It’s time to talk.”

Copperhead opened one eye, an annoyed expression forming as he registered who was interrupting his nap. “Go away,” he told them. “I have nothing to say.”

“That is not the answer that we want,” John told him.

Nodding to the security guard, the special plexiglass slid open, allowing them entrance only to immediate close behind them. Copperhead leapt to his feet in indignation, ready for a fight. “I didn’t give you permission to come in here!”

Shayera and John stalked towards him, neither caring that the villain felt his rights had been violated. “We have questions, and you have answers,” the Thanagarian said. “What is the Secret Society up to?”

“Do you really think I’m going to tell you?” he scoffed as he leaned against the wall of his cell, standing his ground as they drew closer.

“Actually…yes,” Shayera replied, tapping her mace in the palm of her opposite hand.

“You know that’s illegal,” he smugly told her. “You can’t hurt me here. I’ll sue you for violating my rights.”

“She can hurt you if I put us in a soundproof bubble,” John said, using his ring to create a dome around the three of them.

“Hey!” Copperhead yelled as he straightened up. “You can’t do that!”

“If I stand just right, I can block the security camera as well,” John continued. “Now, what do you have to say about that?”

Copperhead assumed a fighting stance. He wasn’t about to go down without defending himself. “You can try, but you won’t—”

Shayera flicked him in the forehead using her thumb and forefinger. “Owe!” he yelled, his hand flying to his forehead.

“What is Grodd up to?” Shayera asked, taking a threatening step closer.

“It’s Luthor too now…he’s in charge with Grodd,” Copperhead revealed, holding up his hands before him as she waved her mace in his face.

“Should have known,” John angrily said.

“That explains a lot,” she agreed. “Now, you’re going to tell us the rest of it.”

**_Watchtower (MU)_ **

“I should’ve known Lex Luthor would worm his way into the middle of this whole thing,” Superman ground out, his hands curling into fists on top of the conference table. “He can never keep himself out of trouble for long.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, it doesn’t sound as if the Secret Society is all that united,” John revealed. “Copperhead was willing to turn on them. I’m sure there are more.”

“According to Copperhead, most of them want out, but they’re too afraid of Luthor and Grodd to leave,” Shay added. “They’re afraid that Luthor and Grodd will use their new weapon on them and end up in another dimension like Diana.”

“Did he tell you anything more?” Batman asked, angry with himself for not getting the information himself.   
Of course, it had been a long night with little sleep. He’d planned on returning later to interrogate them again, but Shayera had beat him to it. He knew if anyone could do a good interrogation it was most definitely the Thanagarian detective.

“No,” John said with a shake of his head. “Only that Luthor was partnering up with Grodd and that everyone wanted out. He refused to say anymore after that. Frankly, I’m surprised we were able to get that much.”

“I think he was too scared to say more,” Shayera added with a frown of irritation. “Grodd and Luthor have put the fear into all of them if they even think of leaving the Society or turning on them.”

“Well, if they have a weapon to send you to Timbuktu, I’m sure they’ve made it clear they’re willing to use it on whoever gets in their way including their own people,” Flash said.

“Makes sense,” Superman agreed. “Those two will do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals. I have no doubt that there plans go far beyond the Justice League.”

“Were you able to find out anymore about the attack on Batman?” J’onn questioned them.

“Copperhead wouldn’t crack anymore,” John replied. “He just said they were just following orders.”

“We need to keep our head on a swivel,” Batman stated. “There is no predicting when they’ll strike again.”

“I know I’m new here, but wouldn’t it make more sense for them to strike every chance they could?” Donna asked. “From what I’ve learned so far from the reports, it seems they attack and then you don’t see them or hear from them for weeks. There’s something very peculiar about that.”

“I agree, but we have no idea what their reasoning is or their ultimate goal,” Superman told her. “There doesn’t appear to be any rhyme or reason…no pattern to their attacks.”

“If Luthor is involved, you can be guaranteed they have a plan in mind,” John said. “We just have to figure out what that is.”

“It sounds like we need to lay a trap of our own,” Donna suggested.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Flash agreed with a grin. “Donna and I can work out a plan and bring it to the next Founders’ meeting.”

“No offense, but I’m not holding my breath,” Batman uttered with a frown as he stood to his feet. “Are we done here?”

“That’s it for this week,” Superman confirmed.

Batman waited for Donna until they were alone, needing to talk to her in private. “Have you heard from Diana at all?”

“I’ve been so busy I haven’t had a chance to contact her,” she admitted. “Being a Founder is a lot of work.”

“Can you feel how she’s doing?”

Donna focused in on her sister and the emotional bond that they shared. “She seems to be doing a little better,” she revealed. “Before, her emotions were so overwhelming it nearly buckled my knees. Now, it’s much more manageable. That’s a good sign.”

“Good,” he simply stated with a curt nod, heading for the door without another word.

“Bruce, I know you’re worried, but Diana will come back,” she reassured him. “She won’t stay on Themyscira forever. Diana has a very adventuresome spirit, one that won’t be able to handle the tranquility of Themyscira for very long. She’ll grow bored with it and need to come back here, but she also won’t be able to stay away from you. She loves you too much.”

“Which one of us does she love, though?” he said with an edge of bitterness in his tone.

“She loves you both, but in different ways,” she attempted to explain. “There were things about the other Bruce that she loved, but there are things specifically about you that she loves. I’m not doing a particularly good job explaining it. You’ll have to talk to her about it.”

“I wish that I could,” he coolly stated before turning on his heel and exiting the conference room.

**_Themyscira (MU)_ **

Sitting cross-legged on the edge of a steep cliff overlooking the sea, Diana lifted her face to the warmth of the sun. The wind caused her hair to whip creating a feral air about her. Her eyes fell closed as she paused to savor the smell of the salty water as well as the comforting scents of just being home.

Returning to Themyscira over three weeks ago to spend time with her mother and her sisters had proven to be the right decision despite how difficult it had been to leave Gotham and Bruce behind. Being here had provided her the time and the space that she’d so desperately needed to think and to heal.

Being at the manor with Bruce, Alfred, and the boys had provided a measure of comfort, but she’d realized that she needed more. She had needed to get away from the outside world and from Bruce to find herself again. Her love for Bruce hadn’t changed while she had been trapped in the other universe, but she had to be clear on her feelings between the two Bruce’s before she was able to move forward in her life.

She owed it not only to herself but to him as well. She needed to focus on herself before she could possibly think about anyone else let alone Bruce. She needed to be secure in herself and in what she wanted. It wouldn’t be fair to her or Bruce if she didn’t know for certain who she was and what she wanted.

Could Bruce actually love her in return?

The thought warmed her heart just like the sun warmed her face, but she couldn’t dwell on that right now despite how much she would have loved to. She had to give herself time to heal from the painful loss she’d endured. She needed to come to terms with all that had happened to her these last several months before she could finally begin again.

“There you are.”

Diana’s lips curled minutely at the sound of her voice, keeping her eyes closed as she responded. “Did you really not think to look here first?”

“Actually, I checked the palace first,” Phillipus confessed as she sat down next to her in the tall grass. “You’ve been hiding in there up until the last week. This is only your second favorite place lately.”

“I haven’t been hiding,” Diana insisted, her eyes still closed as she absorbed the heat of the sun against her skin.

“You’ve been hiding, and you can’t convince me otherwise.”

Diana opened one eye to glare at her, her lips curving into a disapproving frown. “Can I help you with something?”

“Yes,” Phillipus evenly stated. “You can train with me.”

Diana grew rigid as memories of her sparring session with Bruce rushed to the forefront of her mind. Her heart began to race with a sense of panic that took her by surprise. She had felt so terrible about losing control like that. She’d ended up hurting him in the end.

“Perhaps another time,” she replied.

“No…today,” Phillipus insisted. “You’ve been in Man’s World for far too long. You’ve forgotten what it is to be an Amazon. It’s time you remembered your heritage.”

Diana cursed under her breath, finally opening both eyes to turn a heated glare on the General of the Amazons. “I know what it is to be an Amazon,” she coolly stated. “I am one…a princess in fact. That hasn’t changed one bit despite my time in Man’s World.”

“No, you are still an Amazon, but you have lost your way,” Phillipus maintained. “It’s time your retraining begins.”

“Retraining?” Diana repeated, turning to fully face her with a skeptical eye. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“I have put myself in charge of retraining you,” Phillipus informed her. “We need to sharpen your mind and your body. I’m sure your skills are severely lacking too.”

“What do you think I do all day in Man’s World?” she demanded to know.

“Oh, I’m sure you train, but not with an Amazon.”

“Donna and I have trained together,” she revealed. “I’ve also trained frequently with Batman. He may not be an Amazon, but he has taught me a great deal about various forms of fighting. He is a formidable opponent, one that you would be wise to be cautious around.”

“We’ll see about that,” Phillipus responded with a smirk. “If he dares show his face on this island, I will cut him to pieces starting with his male organs.”

“Phillipus!” Diana exclaimed. “You will do no such thing! I forbid it!”

Phillipus’ lips curled into a devious grin. “So, you have feelings for the winged creature of the night?”

Diana dipped her head slightly as she looked away. “You already know that I do,” she softly confessed. “It’s never been a secret on the island no thanks to my mother.”

“Yes, she is quite uncertain about your heart’s choice,” she admitted. “I just wanted to see if you still felt as strongly as you once did. Seems you do despite bedding another Wayne.”

“I didn’t bed him,” Diana spat out. “You make it sound so crude. I…I loved him…a part of me still does.”

The pain in her voice was piercing even to the Amazon general. “I know you did, but he is gone, Diana,” she replied with a gentleness to her voice that took the princess by surprise. “It is time to move on and to look to the future. It’s time to see what will happen with your Batman.”

Diana’s chin fell as she picked at a blade of grass. “I don’t know if I can,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Why not?” Phillipus demanded to know. “Does he not share your feelings?”

“I’m…not actually certain what it is he feels,” she confessed. “I believe he feels something, but I don’t know what that is for sure.”

“He obviously feels something with as hard as he worked to bring you home,” she pointed out. “So, what is the problem in finding out what exactly he feels for you?”

“I feel as though I’m betraying the Bruce I lost,” she admitted, wiping away an unexpected tear. “And I guess I’m a little afraid of what Batman feels for me. What if he tells me he only wants to be friends?”

“How will you know how he feels or what he wants unless you ask him?”

“I know…you’re right,” Diana murmured as she continued to stroke a long blade of grass between her thumb and forefinger. “I just need to know for myself what I actually feel first before I can face Bruce and whatever it is he feels for me.”

“You love him,” Phillipus stated matter-of-factly. “What more is there to figure out?”

“I don’t know,” she bemoaned, flopping back in the grass to stare up at the blue sky. “It’s just feels so messed up.”

“You’re overthinking it, Diana,” she told her. “And when you overthink it, you complicate it far more than it needs to be.”

“When did you become so wise?”

Phillipus turned her attention to the sea stretching out before them as far as the eye could see, suddenly getting lost in memories of the past. “I have loved two at one time myself,” she softly confessed. “I will speak no more of it because it is too painful but to say that I do understand how you feel. It is an exceedingly difficult situation…makes you feel as though you’re being torn asunder, but the heart ultimately knows what it wants. Trust your heart, Diana. It won’t lead you astray.”

“I feel like it did when I was transported to that other world,” Diana revealed with an air of bitterness. “It led me to fall in love with the other Bruce only to lose him and our baby. Why was I sent there only to endure such pain?”

“Your heart didn’t betray you,” Phillipus corrected her. “I know it feels like it, but your heart led you to a new love for a reason, one that you can fondly look back on and appreciate someday. It may have ended in pain, but it doesn’t make the love you shared any less special or worthwhile. You just need to find the will to start again.”

“You’re right,” Diana agreed as she sat up, determination alight in her eyes.

“I know I’m right,” Phillipus said as she stood to her feet, offering the princess a hand. “Now, come train with me. I need to create a spark of temerity in you once more. You’re about as pathetic as Prometheus.”

Diana wrinkled her nose at the comparison as she stood to her feet. “I’m not that bad,” she stated. “I don’t have an eagle eating my liver.”

“You’re about as lively,” she insisted, keeping a hold of her wrist. “Now, let’s see if you can best me two out of three matches.”

“I don’t know if this is a good idea, Phillipus,” Diana tried to tell her as the general led her to the training circle and the swords that were waiting for them.

“Why not?”

“Bruce tried to do the same thing just before I left for Themyscira,” she divulged, her tone revealing her guilt. “It caused me to unleash my emotions that I’d tried so hard to lock away. They took over and I ended up hurting him.”

“He is not me, princess,” she stated with a smirk as she tossed her a sword. “I welcome you drawing blood. It’ll be of great comfort to me to see some fight in you for once instead of this dejected affect you’re projecting.”

“You’ve been warned,” Diana replied as she assumed a fighting stance. “It’s not my fault if I hurt you.”

Phillipus laughed in response to her warning. “You have yet to really hurt me in all the years that I have trained you, little one.”

Diana glared at her opponent. “I hated it when you called me that when I was little, and I still hate it now.”

“Ah! Finally, a spark of emotion,” Phillipus goaded her with a pleased grin. “And here I thought I’d have to start from scratch. Seems there is still a flicker of life in you, little one.”

“I’m not little anymore,” Diana insisted, gritting her teeth as Phillipus suddenly charged at her with sword gripped tightly in both hands.

“Prove it!” Phillipus snapped, the sword of her blade coming straight for Diana’s head.

Diana’s sword came up in time to block the deadly strike that could’ve removed her head from her shoulders. She was coming at her hard and fast much like Bruce had, attempting to push her to her limits in order to force her to face her feelings.

She didn’t like it then and she didn’t like it now.

She grunted with the force of Phillipus’s strike, a sneer forming on her lips as she brought her sword down to counter another attack directed at her hip. She grew frustrated with herself, noticing once again how she was a second too slow…her reaction time slightly off.

How had she let this happen? She was an Amazon princess, raised and trained as a warrior her entire life. She was better than this. How had she lost her edge? Why had the gods allowed her to be taken to another world only to lose so much?

She felt her anger with everything rising like a brood of vipers ready to strike out and unleash her pain on everyone in her path. She began to respond a little quicker…a little sharper. She lashed out with a vengeance that forced Phillipus to compensate for the fierce assault.

“That’s the princess that I helped trained,” Phillipus responded with a proud smirk. “Come on, little one. I know there is more fire inside of you. You just have to tap into it…tap down deep inside of you.”

“Stop…calling…me…that!” Diana roared with a ferocity that the General of the Amazons appreciated. 

Diana quickly put Phillipus on the defensive, showing her that she was truly an Amazon in every way…that she deserved to wear the Champion’s armor. She deserved the title of Wonder Woman and to be the ambassador of the Amazons to spread their message of peace.

Watching down from above, Queen Hippolyta observed the training match happening below. “I’d feared that my daughter had lost the will to fight,” she said. “It seems there still may be a spark of life inside of her.”

“She just needed the right provocation,” Artemis replied, arms folded against her chest as she studied the fight below. “Leave it to General Phillipus to provide that stimulus.”

“Diana and Phillipus have always had an intense friendship,” Hippolyta revealed, her heart silently cheering as Diana nearly took down the general. “Phillipus knows how to push her buttons and is not afraid to do it when she feels Diana needs the prodding.”

“Calling her ‘little one’ was definitely the button to push,” Artemis agreed. “I’ve not seen such intense emotion in the princess since she arrived here over three weeks ago.”

“Yes, I’ve never seen her quite like this before,” the queen confessed with a disheartened sigh. “I had feared she had lost the will to live.”

“There is one person that has kept her from completely giving up,” she pointed out.

“I fear that her heart will forever belong to Batman no matter what happens.”

“What if he never returns those feelings?”

Hippolyta’s eyes momentarily fell closed as worry rose in her chest. “I honestly do not know,” she admitted. “The Diana I knew before she was taken to another universe would have moved on with dignity and grace and not looked back. This Diana now…she’s broken and hurt. I do not know how she will respond.”

“Diana is the strongest of us all,” Artemis argued. “She will find her way through this and come out the other side even more powerful and resilient than before.”

“I hope you are right, Artemis,” she softly said. “I truly hope you are right.”

**_Wayne Enterprises (MU)_ **

Bruce flipped through the file that had been given to him, only half-listening as the French gave their presentation. They were proposing a deal with Wayne Enterprises that had the potential to be profitable for both sides if he and his board decided to move forward with it.

The problem was he was having a hard time caring at this point. Diana had been gone for almost two months now, taking his heart with her. There was barely an hour that went by that he wasn’t thinking of her…wondering how she was or what she was doing at that moment.

His chest felt heavy and tight as he thought about her now. Time had helped ease a measure of his jealousy and anger over the situation, but it hadn’t diminished his love for her in the least. It only seemed to have grown stronger since she had left for Themyscira.

He closed the file, his gaze focusing on the power point presentation. He reached for his cup of coffee as thoughts of going to Themyscira to see her began to take shape in his mind. Men were absolutely forbidden on the island, but the overwhelming desire to see her was beginning to take precedence.

Various ways of infiltrating the island without being detected drifted through his mind, readily being dismissed or set aside to dwell on later. He couldn’t help smiling to himself as he considered Queen Hippolyta’s reaction to discovering later that he had been on her island to see her daughter.

He knew going there meant his life, but at this point, he wasn’t sure he cared anymore. He was miserable with her gone. He found himself just moping around the manor, hoping that she would walk in with that dazzling smile that always managed to spark a flame inside of him.

He hadn’t seen that smile on her face since she before she’d been taken away from them by Grodd. He missed it greatly…hoped that she’d managed to find a reason to smile again while she’d been home. He wanted to be that reason, but he knew it was wishful thinking. It was too soon since she’d lost the baby and the man who had loved her the way that he hadn’t allowed himself to.

Now, he was ready to give her that love. He knew that he shouldn’t have waited so long to get to that point, but it had taken her being taken away from them for him to realize just how much he truly loved her and wanted to be with her in every way imaginable.

“What are your thoughts, Bruce?” Lucius asked. “Do you have any questions?”

“Not at this point,” he replied with an easy smile that he had to dig deep to muster. “I’m going to need some time to review all of this in detail, but I will admit that I’m very interested.”

“Looks like we’ll need to schedule a follow up meeting once Mister Wayne has had a chance to thoroughly review the research,” Lucius said as he stood to his feet, extending a hand to one of the men.

“Thank you,” Bruce uttered with a nod as he too stood to his feet. “If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen. I have a young lady that I don’t want to keep waiting much longer.”

They bid him farewell as Bruce made a quick exit from the conference room with the file in hand. After a stop by his office to grab his briefcase, he waved goodbye to his secretary. He needed to get home to finalize his plans for going to Themyscira to see Diana and hopefully bring her home.

The drive home was filled with making plans and excitement over finally seeing her again. It was hard enough having her gone for over a month the last time, but now she’d been gone for two months. He wasn’t certain which was worse—having her in another universe where he couldn’t reach her or knowing where she was and still not being able to see her.

He decided it didn’t matter. He was going to see her soon, letting her know how he felt about her. Hopefully, she would accept his confession, willing to try to make a life with him. It was what he’d wanted all along but had been too afraid to admit it until now.

Doubts began to creep into the recesses of his mind, making him wonder if it was too soon. It had only been a little over three months since he’d found her and brought her back home. Would she be ready for him or would he only remind her of everything that she’d lost?

Pulling into the circle drive, he got out of his car, determined to at least try to see her. There was no way he was going to know until he actually talked to her and he couldn’t do that with her on Themyscira. He would have to contact Dick to help Tim and Damian cover Gotham. He wasn’t certain how long it would take so he had better warn him it could be a few days…especially if Hippolyta threw him in the dungeon.

“Alfred!” he yelled as he entered the manor, loosening his tie with one hand as he tossed his briefcase onto a nearby chair with the other.

“Yes, sir,” Alfred responded as he appeared in the hallway.

“I’m going after Diana,” he announced. “I’m going to Themyscira.”

Alfred gave him a wary look, one that Bruce had not anticipated in the least. He had expected him to be thrilled with the idea, but he looked anything but. He appeared almost skeptical of his decision to see Diana and bring her home.

“Do you think that is a wise decision, Master Bruce?” Alfred as he took his surrogate son’s suit coat and tie from him.

“Why not?” Bruce asked with a scowl. “It’s been two months, Alfred. I can’t keep going like this…not being able to see her or talk to her. I need to know how she is doing and if she’s even all right.”

“While I applaud your decision to act, I admit that I’m a little apprehensive about your timing,” he attempted to explain.

“What do mean?” he demanded to know as he unbuttoned the sleeves of his dress shirt. “How long have you been hounding me to do something about my feelings for Diana? Now that I am, you want me to wait?”

“Master Bruce, Miss Diana experienced a traumatic event, one that caused her to lose her way,” he told him. “I believe going to her island home was the wisest decision for her. I’m just not certain that she would be quite ready for your declaration.”

“Yes, but I won’t know unless I try,” Bruce snapped, growing angry.

“I really think it might be more prudent to let her come to you this time,” he advised him. “I assure you when Miss Diana is finally ready for love again, she’ll most definitely come home to you.”

Bruce sank into a chair, leaning forward to hold his head in his hands. “You don’t know that for sure,” he replied, his voice thick with emotion. “What if she never comes back?”

“You told me yourself that Miss Diana promised she would come back,” Alfred reminded him. “And I have never known Miss Diana to lie.”

“But what if she changes her mind?” Bruce questioned him, lifting his head to look at his British butler. “What if she decides she doesn’t want to try again…doesn’t want me? I mean I know I can be difficult at times. What if she decides I’m too much to handle?”

Alfred placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, gentle affection permeating his eyes. “Trust your heart, Master Bruce,” he replied. “Trust Miss Diana.”

Bruce drew a ragged breath, releasing it slowly through his nose. “Fine,” he reluctantly relented. “I’ll wait for now, but if she doesn’t come home in the next month, I’m going after her.”

“I’ll even help you back your bags, sir,” Alfred told him with a twinkle in his eye.

Bruce watched as Alfred walked away, the ache in his chest returning with a vengeance. It had lessened some with the thought of seeing Diana soon, but now it was back just as strong as ever. “Please, come back soon, princess,” he softly murmured to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: It's so good to see our old Diana coming back! :)
> 
> UP NEXT: Bruce attends a charity event with a woman on his arm while Diana has an encounter with Aphrodite that turns her life around. Will it cause her to return to Gotham?


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

**_Gotham (MU)_ **

Bruce briefly touched his bow tie to make sure it was straight as he entered the charity function with a beautiful redhead on his arm. He was fashionably late as always, causing more than a few raised brows at his scantily dressed date. His late arrival always caused a stir of rumors to flit around the room as to what he had been up to that led his tardiness.

He offered his usual easy smile to his friends, but it took considerable effort to keep it there. This was the absolute last place on earth that he wanted to be, but Alfred had insisted that it was beyond necessary bordering on dire. He had been missing from the social scene since the day Wonder Woman had supposedly been killed. It had generated a marked wave in rumors as to what had happened to the suddenly elusive playboy of Gotham.

Deep down, Bruce knew that Alfred was right. Being absent from social scene could severely jeopardize his alter ego, putting him at risk of being exposed. He couldn’t let that happen…which was why he was working damage control at that moment with up-and-coming supermodel Julia Vaughn.

He smiled at Jack Cunningham, waving at his wife who gave him a sensual leer that spoke volumes as to what she really wanted from him. He turned his attention instead to Duncan Addair who was making his way towards him at that moment.

“Bruce, you old dog,” Duncan bellowed with his thick Scottish brogue as he extended his hand. “I’d like to know what rock you’ve been hiding under these last few months.”

“Been a little busy,” Bruce slyly replied, his eyes settling on his date who was being handed a couple of glasses of champagne by a waiter.

“I should’ve known,” Duncan said with a chuckle as he gazed at the redhead. “When you’ve got a beauty like that, you don’t have much time for anything else.”

Bruce turned to look at Julia, appreciating her beauty, but it didn’t stir anything inside of him except for overwhelming loneliness. She wasn’t Diana. Although gorgeous in everyone’s eye, she didn’t possess the attributes that had caused him to fall in love with the Amazon princess.

He felt a painful void with her absence, one that was growing deeper with every passing day. She’d been gone for three months now. He couldn’t bear to go another day without seeing her. He had sworn to himself this morning that he was going to Themyscira tomorrow no matter what Alfred said. Even if he couldn’t bring her home yet, he hoped to at least see her and talk to her in an effort to alleviate the ache that had settled in his chest.

“Bruce?”

Bruce’s head snapped to the side to look at Duncan. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “What did you say?”

“I asked how business was,” he repeated. “Have you got any new deals in the pipeline?”

Bruce gave him a huge grin as he clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ve always got deals in the pipeline, “Dun,” he told him.

“Well, I’m glad to see you doing well,” he told him. “I was getting worried about you.”

“Nothing can keep me out of the limelight for long.”

“Bruce, let’s get something to eat,” Julia said, wrapping her arm around his and invading his personal space. “I’m getting hungry. I haven’t eaten all day.”

“Been keeping her busy, eh?” Duncan murmured as he elbowed Bruce. “I’ll see you later, you old dog.”

“Later, Duncan,” he replied before escorting his date to the table of hors d'oeuvres.

Julia picked up an hors d'oeuvre with a sexy smirk on her lips as she turned towards Bruce. “Smoked oysters,” she practically purred as she held it up to his mouth. “You know oysters are an aphrodisiac, don’t you?”

He opened his mouth to accept the appetizer, intentionally sucking gently on the tips of her fingers and earning a gasp. He chewed slowly as he watched her reach for the pate. He hated this with every fiber of his being, pretending to be attracted to this woman when he wholly loved another. 

He couldn’t help wishing that this night was over with so he could begin his patrol. He needed to clean up the streets before leaving for Themyscira tomorrow night. He hoped that arriving under the guise of darkness would help cloak his presence.

“Bruce, are you all right?” Julia asked, tilting her head slightly as she studied him. “You seem preoccupied.”

“Just have a lot on my mind…including you,” he flirted, his arm slipping around her waist as he pulled her against him for a kiss.

Julia melted against him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she attempted to deepen the kiss only for him to abruptly end it. “Let’s dance,” he suggested, taking her by the hand and leading her to the dance floor.

He took her into his arms as they began to dance, counting the minutes until he could leave. He calculated that he’d only have to stay here for about another hour before needing to find a way to ditch his date and slip out of the charity event.

Julia began to tell him all about her next photoshoot scheduled for the following week in Fiji, telling him how he should accompany her on the trip and all the fun they could have together. He barely registered what she was saying to him, his gaze continually looking towards the main entrance of the ballroom. 

He kept expecting Diana to walk in at any minute, capturing the attention of every single person in the room. She always managed to do that at every gala and charity event that she attended, actually every place she went. She radiated an aura of warmth and compassion that drew everyone to her. It was no wonder she was so beloved by the whole world and beyond.

“Just think, Bruce,” Julia flirted, her lips brushing against his ear. “A whole week in Fiji...with me. You could sleep in while I work for a few hours…then I would come back to our suite to wake you up…and blow your mind all over again like no woman ever has before.”

In the past, Bruce might have considered her proposal, hooking up with her for a few days, but that was before Diana. Now, the offer didn’t hold the slightest appeal to him. “I’m afraid I can’t, Julia,” he replied. “I have a couple of deals that I’m trying to broker over the next couple of weeks.”

Julia began to nibble on his earlobe, teasing it with her teeth and tongue. “I’m sure you could find someone to take over for you,” she attempted to coax him as her hand moved to his chest. “I’m sure they wouldn’t miss you for a few days.”

“Julia, I can’t,” he firmly stated, growing annoyed. “This just isn’t going to work.”

She pulled back to look in his eyes, realization dawning on her. “There’s someone else, isn’t there?”

Bruce sighed heavily as he averted his eyes. “I’m afraid there is,” he confessed. “I’m sorry.”

“What happened?” she asked, showing genuine concern. “Did she leave you?”

“In a way,” he admitted, “but I’m determined to get her back.”

“I really hope you do,” she sincerely replied.

“Thank you,” he murmured, longing and loneliness welling up inside of him as he thought about her. 

It had been three months of waiting and wondering and worrying if she was going to return to him or if she was going to stay on Themyscira forever. He knew that Diana had promised him that she would return, but he’d never seen her so broken before. She might decide she didn’t want to leave the safety of her island home.

“You know I never really believed all of those rumors about you,” Julia told him as they continued to dance.

“Really?” he replied, his apprehension growing. “Why is that?”

Julia smiled softly as she gazed into his eyes. “I think you have a good heart, Bruce,” she revealed. “I think the rumors are greatly exaggerated just to sell their papers.”

The corner of Bruce’s mouth ticked up into a partial smirk. “Is that why you agreed to go out with me? To see if the rumors were true about me?”

“Yes,” she admitted. “You pique my curiosity. I’m glad that I found out I was right about you, but I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to experience far more with you.”

“I’m sorry if I led you on,” he apologized. “I thought I could get over her, but she is impossible to forget.”

“She sounds like quite a wonderful woman,” she said.

“More wonderful than you know,” he agreed, feeling a sense of excitement knowing that he wouldn’t have to wait much longer.

Thankfully, this painful ache that settled in his chest wouldn’t be there for long. Tomorrow, he would finally get to see her and with any luck, he’d be able to bring her back home with him.

**_Themyscira (MU)_ **

Diana momentarily closed her eyes, inhaling deeply as she pushed her horse to move faster. She actually felt a sense of genuine happiness for the first time since in exceedingly long time. She knew that the heartache of losing her baby would stay with her forever, but she was learning to accept it. 

She missed Bruce, his death still haunting her sleep. She was struggling with the guilt she felt over him losing his life trying to protect her and their baby continued to consume her. She should have been able to do something more. She was an Amazon warrior…Wonder Woman…and yet she hadn’t been able to do anything to prevent it.

She still had questions she wanted answers to, but she also knew those answers might never come. Even if they did, it might not ever fully satisfy her. It was time to rebuild her life and move on, to find happiness and love with someone who she hoped felt the same way as she did. 

She smiled to herself as she caught up to her mother, riding alongside her. It brought back memories of the last time that she’d gone horseback riding with her mother. She’d tried to talk her mother into helping out Man’s World that day, but her mother had been adamantly against the idea.

Diana had ended up going against her mother’s wishes by sneaking into the Temple of Athena and taking the set of armor that laid on the alter. It had been a difficult decision at the time, but she never once regretted following her heart to do what she knew she had to do.

“You’re thinking of that day too,” Hippolyta knowingly said as she cast a sidelong gaze at her daughter.

“It’s hard not to,” Diana admitted with a faint smile on her lips. “It changed the entire direction of my life.”

“I guess a part of me always knew that you were fated for more far beyond the shores of Themyscira,” she confessed. “I just didn’t want to believe it or see it. I was selfish to want to keep you here with me and now I know that you will be leaving again.”

“It’s the love of a mother,” she softly said, thinking of the daughter that she had lost.

“Someday you will know that love again, my sun and stars,” the queen assured her. “I know your pain runs very deep as does mine knowing I lost a granddaughter, but I also believe you will know the joy that comes with a baby in your life.”

Diana shook her head as she pursed her lips, her blue eyes narrowing as she gazed out over the sea. “I have to admit that I’m a little afraid,” she admitted. “I don’t know if I can go through that again. I can’t bear the thought of losing another baby.”

“I understand your fear of carrying a child again,” she replied, her tone gentle and sympathetic. “You also know that there are always risks in life. You live with that risk every time you go out on a mission. That doesn’t mean that we should avoid living or avoid loving again.”

“I know,” she confessed as she thought about Batman. She had been avoiding having to deal with her feelings for him, delaying rebuilding her life, but she found herself growing anxious to see him.

Hippolyta studied her daughter’s expression, a knowing smile forming on her lips. “You know you can’t hide here forever…not from the world and not from him.”

Diana tore her gaze from the blue waters that lapped at the beach, meeting her mother’s stare. “You’re right,” she told her with a frown. “It’s becoming very annoying, but you’re right.”

The queen chuckled affectionately, relieved how her daughter had found herself over the last three months. At the same time, she knew that Diana wouldn’t be staying here much longer. She would love nothing more for her daughter to stay here on Themyscira forever, but she knew she was being selfish. Her daughter was special in every way imaginable…destined to continue to do amazing things for the good of the world.

“I can see how much you miss him,” she told her. “When you first arrived, you were apathetic to the point I feared you might never recover, but you have made great strides over the last three months. Now, I see a restlessness in you…a longing to return to your life and to him. It’s a good sign. It means you’re finally healing. You’re ready to begin again.”

“I can’t help the sense of guilt I feel,” she softly said, becoming lost in thoughts of the past…of a life in another world that wasn’t her own. “I feel guilty about moving on…like Bruce didn’t mean anything to me when he did. He was there for me when I needed someone so badly. He wasn’t like Batman. He wasn’t a superhero or have a warrior’s spirit, but he had a compassion and a gentleness that spoke to me. He was just as quick and willing to help others like Batman, but different ways.”

“It’s all right that Bruce holds a special place in your heart,” Hippolyta assured her. “It’s natural that he would after everything that the two of you went through together.”

“He died protecting me and Jacey,” she replied.

“He died a hero,” she agreed. “He wouldn’t want you to mourn for him forever. He would want you to move on and be happy.”

“Why does love have to be so complicated?” Diana said with a sigh.

“That’s part of what makes love so very special,” she told her. “Diana, follow your heart. Find out what Bruce’s feelings are for you. You’ll never find true peace until you do.”

“You’re right,” she said with a sigh. “It’s not fair to either of us.”

“Go back to him, my sun and stars,” she encouraged her. “While I’d love to have you here with me, I know you could never be completely happy on Themyscira especially without Batman.”

Diana smiled fondly as she tightened her hold on the reins. “I think that I’m going to the temple to pray again before I make any decisions,” Diana ultimately decided. “The goddesses have not answered my prayers as of yet, but today may be the day.”

“I pray you find the answers that you’re seeking,” the queen told her, reaching up to cup her cheek. “I’m so very proud of you and all that you’ve accomplished…how you’ve been working through your loss like a true Amazon. You just need to trust yourself, Diana. I know that you’ll come through all of this stronger and more indomitable than ever before.”

“Thank you, mother,” Diana replied with a genuine smile as she melted into her mother’s touch. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she told her.

Queen Hippolyta watched as Diana rode away, knowing that her daughter’s time here was rapidly coming to an end. It broke her heart, but at the same time, she was relieved to see that her daughter was recovering from her ordeal. 

While she knew that she would always carry the scars of her loss, Diana would only grow stronger from the trial, her empathy for others who have endured similar pain running far deeper than ever before. She also knew that with Bruce by her side, her daughter’s future was going to shine brighter than ever before.

XXX

Diana walked into the Temple of Aphrodite, her head lowered as she approached the alter and the lit torches that were constantly maintained. She hoped that today she would receive the answers that she’d been requesting, but she also knew that demanding it from her patron goddess was not a wise decision.

She didn’t want to leave Themyscira without some sort of answer. A part of her felt that she still needed them if she was going to truly be able to move on with her life. At the same time, she knew that she needed to be prepared to do that very thing if the goddesses refused to respond to her request.

Diana fell to her knees, pouring her heart out to Lady Aphrodite for the hundredth time since she’d arrived home on the island. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks, dropping onto the stone floor beneath her knees as she shared every hurt, every bit of confusion that besieged her heart, every question that she’d struggle to understand.

It felt like hours passed as she continued to plead for some sort of response. Just as she was about to give up, she felt a gentle hand come to rest on her bowed head. “Rise, my child.”

Diana lifted her head, taken aback by Lady Aphrodite’s appearance before her. She’d dared to hope she would come to her and now she was actually here. “Lady Aphrodite,” she murmured, bowing her head once more. “I’m honored that you have chosen to show yourself to me. I apologize for my endless prayers these last few months. I’m hoping that you can help me find some peace.”

Aphrodite knelt before her, her hand cupping her chin to force her to look up at her. “How could I not?” she said with a bright smile. “You’re my favorite Amazon. You always honor me with the love that you carry in your heart for others…and especially a certain Dark Knight.”

“I love him more than my own life,” she confessed with a soft smile. “I’m afraid that I hurt him by falling in love with another. Batman wasn’t willing to risk a relationship with me, but Bruce was. He was so open and willing to love. I had to know what love was really like with him.”

“Ah, the Eassicion dimension Bruce,” Aphrodite knowingly replied. “I’m not surprised that you so readily fell in love with him. He is a different version of the Bruce you’ve known, but he still shared many similar characteristics.”

“He died trying to protect me and our baby,” she told her. “I don’t understand why I was sent there only to suffer so much pain in the end.”

“I know it is difficult to understand, but you and Bruce did not suffer in vain,” she revealed. “The time he had with you was the best eight months of his life since losing his parents. He regrets nothing that happened. He is with his parents now as well as with little Jacey in the Elysium Fields in the Eassicion dimension.”

“He is?” Diana whispered in shock, gazing at the goddess through her tears. “He’s with my Jacey?”

“She’s a beautiful little girl…resembles you,” she assured her, her hand cupping her chin once more. “I know that you think that nothing but pain and suffering has come from your experience, but there has also been so much good that has come from it too. You will find that out in time.”

“He doesn’t hate me?” she dared to ask.

“No, Diana,” she replied, gently shaking her head. “He loves you and wants you to be happy. He doesn’t want you to mourn for him any longer. He wants you to love again and to move on with Batman if he is willing.”

Diana felt warmth flood her heart knowing that Bruce and Jacey were together, reunited with his parents. It brought her a measure of relief, but at the same time, she wished that she could hold her daughter just once. It was a pain that would stay with her forever, but it was a little more bearable knowing she was being taken care of by her father and grandparents.

“It’s time, Diana,” Aphrodite told her. “It’s time to return home and assume the mantle of the Champion of the Gods again. You have a renewed mission that awaits you, princess…one that almost mirrors Batman’s now.”

Diana felt as if the pieces were falling into place as she looked back on the time that she had spent in that world. She had learned so much about herself…about love and what she truly wanted in her life.   
While she loved Bruce, it had given her a deeper appreciation and love for the people she had left behind and especially one superhero in particular.

And in the end, her eyes had been opened to the tragedy of what Bruce had endured as an eight-year-old boy witnessing his parents’ murder. While it wasn’t identical to her own experience, she understood his trauma now…his sense of loss, seeing it through his eyes. In so doing, she discovered an even deeper love for him, surpassing any love she had ever known before.

“Man’s World needs you, Diana… _he_ needs you.”

“I miss him so much,” she said, wiping the tears from her face.

“He misses you just as much,” the goddess divulged with a knowing smile. “Please know that your goddesses are very proud of you and the way that you’ve battled your way back from such a tragic loss. You have grown far stronger from this than you even realize.”

Diana smiled gratefully as Aphrodite erased the remnants of her tears with her fingertips, feeling a tremendous weight being lifted from her heart. While she couldn’t be with her child, she now knew that Jacey was happy and safe with Bruce. It was more than she could’ve hoped for after everything that had happened.

Now, it was time to take her battered heart and start life anew with the man who had captured it from the very beginning…if he was willing to take a chance on her.

**_Gotham (MU)_ **

Batman threw a haymaker at one of the thugs, knocking him down in one punch with minimal effort. He whirled on his heel, ducking as a crowbar came right at his head. He came up with his fist, hitting him square in the jaw before kicking him in the middle of his chest.

The man stumbled backwards into one of his partners, both of them crashing into a stack of wooden crates. Batman didn’t waste time, grabbing both of them by the backs of their necks and slamming their heads together. A four-by-four piece of wood slammed across Batman’s upper back, shattering into a shower of splinters.

Batman stumbled a step forward before quickly righting himself. With a furious growl, he turned to face his attacker who took a couple of steps backwards, holding his hands up in front of him. “Sorry…please, don’t hurt me,” he stammered, suddenly fearing for his life.

“Too late,” Batman rasped as he stalked straight towards him, throwing a right hook and dropping him like a rock.

A thug came at him from his right with a knife in hand. Batman lifted his gauntleted wrist, catching the deadly blade in one of his fins. He shoved him backwards with a snarl on his lips as another jumped him from behind, wrapping his arms around the Dark Knight’s neck.

Batman flipped him off his back and into the guy with the knife, sending them both crashing into a brick wall. He swiftly spun around, breathing heavily as he surveyed the carnage that lay scattered around him. His gut told him that this was far from over.

Something more was going on.

“You never fail to impress.”

“Two-Face,” Batman growled.

“You singlehandedly took down ten of my best men,” he stated.

“What are you up to?” Batman demanded to know.

“Me?” Two-Face asked with an air of innocence, touching his chest with his hand. “Absolutely nothing. I’m completely innocent this time. I was just paid to draw you out of the shadows.”

Batman instantly grew rigid, the fine hairs on the back of his neck bristling with sudden awareness as he pulled out a Batarang. They were not alone. “By whom?” he rasped.

“By us,” Grodd announced as he stepped out of the shadows, his notorious weapon in hand.

Batman’s gauntleted hands clenched tightly as he watched Lex Luthor, Rampage, Bizarro, Volcana, Star Sapphire and Sinestro came to stand on either side of Grodd to face off against him. He was greatly outnumbered, but he would not go down without a fight.

“It’s time to send you to another dimension,” Luthor informed him.

“Like you did Wonder Woman?” Batman questioned him. “Seems to me she found a way back.”

“That was just luck…or you,” Grodd told him. “This time it’s going to be permanent.”

“We’re going to be rid of the Dark Knight once and for all,” Luthor said with a smirk. “After that, the rest of the League will be all gone before taking down the president. Then, I’ll be the one to run the country.”

“You have to catch me first,” Batman shot back.

Batman threw the Batarang at Grodd as he tossed a smoke bomb with the other. “Get him!” Luthor yelled. “Don’t let him get away!”

“Where is he?” Volcana yelled.

Bizzaro flew up above the thick cloud of smoke, determined to be the one to find the Batman. “Me find him!” he yelled, using his breath to disperse the smoke to find no sign of the Dark Knight.

“Where did he go?” Rampage bellowed.

“I’ll burn him out,” Volcano decided, throwing her hands out before her, prepared to start a massive fire.

A Batarang seemingly appeared out of nowhere, hitting her directly between the eyes. A flurry of Batbombs skidded across the ground at the same time, exploding and creating enough chaos to allow Batman the opportunity to strike. 

Throwing a bola, he trapped Sinestro’s arms against his body. He managed to lift his hand, using his ring to break free from the bola. He quickly raised his fist, directing his power ring straight at Batman who was flying towards him on his grappling line.

A large pair of scissors appeared from Sinestro’s ring, snapping Batman’s line. The Dark Knight immediately used his cape to control his descent, lifting his legs and kicking Sinestro square in the chest. Knocking him to the ground, Batman delivered a bone-jarring punch that took him out of the game at least for the time being.

Batman whipped around, unleashing a barrage of Batarangs at Ramage and Volcana only to be picked up by his cape by Bizarro. “Look what me caught!”

“Don’t let him go!” Grodd demanded, pointing his gun directly at the Dark Knight.

“Do it already!” Luthor yelled.

Batman swiftly pulled a razor-sharp Batarang, slicing his cape and feeing himself. Star Sapphire immediately pointed her sapphire at Batman, creating a bubble around him and trapping him. “Looks like he’s not going anywhere except where we send him,” Star Sapphire gloated.

“You’re not sending him anywhere!” Wonder Woman yelled, her fist connecting with Star Sapphire’s jaw.

Batman stared in stunned disbelief, more than relieved to see Diana for more than one reason. The bubble keeping him trapped disappeared as Star Sapphire rolled unconscious across the ground, allowing him to rejoin the fight once more.

He immediately sprang into action as Bizarro flew into the air to intercept Wonder Woman, throwing a flash grenade at Grodd and Luthor. Both stumbled backwards, causing Grodd to drop his weapon as he and Luthor attempted to shield their eyes, but it was no use. They were blinded by the light, leaving them both susceptible.

Batman wasted no time, attacking the pair with a fierce vengeance. He unleashed every bit of his rage on them for what Grodd and the Secret Society had done to Diana and the pain that they had created. He was going to end this tonight one way or another.

Bizarro suddenly flew backwards past him, crashing into a nearby utility truck as Batman traded blows with Luthor who was taking the brunt of the fight. Grodd scrambled after the weapon, reaching for it only to have a red boot stomp down on top it, crushing it into dust right before his eyes.

“You aren’t going to hurt anyone else for as long as I’m around,” Wonder Woman ground out, delivering a punishing slam of her fist into Grodd’s face.

Blood began to trickle from his mouth as he staggered backwards, but Diana didn’t let up. She continued to pound her fists into the gorilla until he could no longer get up. Rampage suddenly wrapped her arms around the Amazon from behind, lifting her up off the ground.

“You’ve met your match now!” Rampage bellowed.

“I was just about to say the same about you,” Wonder Woman retorted.

Diana threw her head backwards, crashing into Rampage’s forehead and breaking free from the bone-crushing hold on her. Diana attacked with a ferocity that had been locked up for far too long, finishing off Rampage in a matter of seconds before turning her attention to Volcana who was charging towards her.

Finishing handcuffing Luthor, Batman turned around in time to witness Volcana unleash a stream of fire at the Amazon princess, completely enveloping her in the flames. “Diana!” Batman yelled, running towards her only to be stopped short by the intensity of the heat. He threw his arms up to try to shield himself from the tremendous heat.

“Your Wonder Woman is no more!” Volcana taunted.

They watched in amazement as Diana walked right out of the flames, completely untouched by the fire that had consumed her. “Think again,” Diana spat out, her blue eyes like simmering flames of fury.

“If I can’t destroy you, then I’ll burn down the Bat,” Volcana decided with a smirk of pleasure on her lips as she turned her attention to the Dark Knight.

Before she could unleash her fire, Diana was in her face, her hand wrapping around Volcana’s throat. “You will do no such thing,” she sneered, tightening her hold on the supervillain.

Batman watched as Diana rendered Volcana unconscious before tossing her aside like a bag of trash before turning to look at him. He could scarcely believe that she was actually here. It had been the longest three months of his life, but now she was finally home.

They slowly made their way to each other, both wanting to say so many things to each other, but they couldn’t with a semi-conscious audience. Sirens roared as police and rescue arrived on the scene to take the villains away, but Batman and Wonder Woman were barely aware of what was happening around them.

Diana abruptly wrapped an arm around him, flying both of them up to a nearby rooftop that would allow them some privacy. “Hi,” Diana softly said with a small smile.

“You came back,” he replied.

“I promised you that I would,” she reminded him.

He nodded slightly, remembering her promise. Without another word, he reached out and pulled her to him, his arms wrapped tightly in a crushing embrace. “I missed you so much,” he murmured into her hair.

“I missed you too,” she responded, savoring the feel of his comforting embrace.

“Are you all right?” he asked after several long moments of just holding her like he’d dreamed, drawing back just enough to be able to gaze into her eyes.

“I’m doing better,” she told him with a genuine smile that seemed to make her eyes sparkle on the dimly lit rooftop. “I still carry the scars, but I’m ready to start again.”

For the first time in a long time, Bruce smiled in return, one that warmed her heart and stole her breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: SHE'S BACK!!!! :)
> 
> UP NEXT: Diana has a plan as she returns to the League for her psych evaluation with J'onn.
> 
> NOTE: I'm almost done with the last chapter of this fic (Chp 23)! I've already started plotting out Family Crisis. I think you all are going to like it.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

**_Wayne Manor (MU)_ **

Diana rolled onto her side with a sleepy groan, the warmth of the sunlight streaming in through the window alerting her to the fact that it was time to wake up. She knew she needed to get up, but she really didn’t want to. She had greatly missed the expensive Egyptian cotton sheets that Bruce favored. Nothing in the royal palace on Themyscira came close to the luxuriousness of these sheets. They had become a secret obsession of hers.

Yawning sleepily, she finally opened her eyes to find a single rose in a vase sitting on her bedside table. The corners of her lips curled with the surprise, recognizing the fragrant rose as the Sunset Rose hybrid that was her favorite from Martha’s garden.

She reached out to gently run the tip of her finger along the silky petal. She knew that Bruce had to be the one who had left it for her. He was the only one that she had told about how much she loved that particular rose. It warmed her heart to think that he had been thinking of her this morning, wanting to have something here waiting for her when she woke up to put a smile on her face.

After taking care of Grodd and his group, they had returned to the Batcave. Bruce had updated her on what she had missed out on over the last three months that she had been gone. John and Shayera were back together again though they were keeping things lowkey for the time being out of respect for Vixen.

Wally had met a reporter by the name of Linda. It seemed as though he was pretty head-over-heels for her, but Bruce wasn’t holding his breath. Wally had been head-over-heels about every girl that he’d ever gone out with only to break up a short time later.

Lois and Clark were still going strong while J’onn had met a woman that he seemed to enjoy spending time with. He was spending far less time on the Watchtower, making Diana more than happy for her friend. It made her almost sad that she had missed out on so much of her friends’ lives, but she also knew that leaving for Themyscira for a period of time had been the best decision that she could have made.

She had shared with Bruce some of what she had experienced on Themyscira—her intense training with Phillipus, the time she had spent with her mother, her walks along the beach, and hunting in the forest with her sisters. She had yet to tell him anything about her conversation with Aphrodite. She was saving that for another time.

She had been somewhat concerned about how she would handle returning to her duties as Wonder Woman, but it had been as natural to her as breathing. When she had seen Bruce outnumbered and on the verge of being killed or transported to another universe, she had immediately leaped into action without a second thought, doing what came instinctively to her.

She had to admit it felt amazing being back in action once more. She hadn’t realized just how much she had missed being Wonder Woman until last night. She had felt incomplete without her powers in the other universe, like a piece of her was always missing. She’d greatly missed helping others, being out there in the heat of battle.

Now, she felt whole again and ready to do what she had been trained her whole life to do.

Diana brought the rose to her nose, inhaling deeply and savoring the sweet yet spicy scent. This was a side of Bruce that she’d never seen before. She’d always known that he possessed a sweet and thoughtful side, but he always worked so hard to keep it hidden, never wanting to draw attention to himself or truly reveal what was in his heart.

It seemed as though Bruce was willing to try now, and she couldn’t be happier about it. She still had her lingering fears and doubts, but she wasn’t going to back down from this opportunity to have a life with the man who had captured first her attention and then her heart. She had taken care of herself, putting herself first the last three months, and now she was ready for whatever lay ahead of her with Bruce whether it be love or only friendship.

Setting the rose back in its vase, Diana got up to get a shower, anxious to see him. She had a lot that she needed to do now that she was back. First and foremost, she needed to return to the Watchtower. She had missed her teammates and friends greatly, knowing that they had been worried about her. She wanted to put their minds at ease, proving that she was back for good.

Diana frowned as she got into the shower, knowing that returning to the League meant a psychological evaluation by J’onn. It wasn’t something that she was looking forward to, but she knew that she needed to endure it if she wanted to be cleared to return to her duties.

She was in a much better place now than she had been a few months ago. That didn’t mean the ache that consumed her heart was no longer there, but she was learning to accept it as a part of her now instead of letting it control her. She needed to use that heartache and channel it into helping others.

Drying off, she began thinking about starting an organization to help others who had gone through the loss of a child. It was something that she was anxious to talk to Bruce about. If there was anyone who knew about starting a charitable organization, it was definitely Bruce Wayne.

Getting dressed, Diana pulled her hair up into a ponytail before flying down the stairs. She entered the kitchen to find Bruce, Tim, and Damian at the table eating breakfast, Alfred making crepes with strawberries. The wonderful smell made her stomach rumble in anticipation of the decadent breakfast dish.

“Diana, you’re back!” Tim said, jumping to his feet and running around the table to hug her. 

“I told you so,” Bruce murmured before taking a sip of his coffee.

Damian stabbed another crepe with his fork before acknowledging her presence. “Father said you were back, but we didn’t believe him.”

Diana returned Tim’s warm embrace before finally releasing him. “I’m back for good,” she confirmed.

“Please, tell us you’re staying here at the manor,” Tim said, leading her to her usual seat at the table beside Bruce.

“Diana knows she’s welcome to stay here for as long as she wants to,” Bruce informed them. “No one is going to ask her to leave.”

“I hope you stay here forever,” Tim told her.

Diana cast a sidelong glance at Bruce as she picked up her napkin to lay across her lap. “We’ll see how it goes,” she enigmatically replied. “I’m not going anywhere, at least for now…if that’s all right with everyone.”

“Well, I am thrilled to hear that,” Alfred said as he set a couple of crepes on her plate. “I hope you stay too.”

“I’m sure you all want to get on with your lives now that things are back to normal,” Diana ventured.

Bruce snorted as he laid his newspaper aside. “When have things ever been normal around here?”

“That’s what I was going to say,” Damian added. “If it’s normal or quiet, it just means that something is ramping up to happen.”

“That’s a pessimistic view,” Tim decided.

“You two had better hurry up and get ready,” Alfred told them, tapping the face of his watch on his wrist. “We need to leave for school in ten minutes.”

Tim stood to his feet, downing the rest of his orange juice before dashing out of the kitchen, followed closely by Damian. “Never mind the dishes,” Alfred said to Bruce and Diana. “I’ll take care of them when I return home.”

“Thank you, Alfred,” Diana replied. “Breakfast is delicious. I’ve really missed your cooking.”

“My pleasure, Miss Diana,” he beamed. “It’s a pleasure to cook for someone who truly appreciates it.”

“I’ve always appreciated your cooking, Alfred,” Bruce countered.

“Yes, sir,” Alfred responded with a nod as he grabbed his car keys and driving cap, “but watching you swallow your dinner whole before rushing off for patrol with a grunt of gratitude just doesn’t quite bring the same enjoyment.”

Diana giggled as Alfred left to bring the car around to the front, leaving Bruce and Diana alone. “Don’t you have to go to work today?” Diana asked.

“No, I took today and tomorrow off so I could help you with whatever you need to do now that you’re back,” he revealed.

“Bruce, that’s very sweet of you, but I don’t want to take you away from your work,” she said with a frown.

“Too late,” he told her. “Lucius is already taking over for me, so I’m at your disposal, princess.”

Diana smiled at him, taking a bite of her breakfast. “I really appreciate that,” she replied. “There is something that I really wanted to discuss with you.”

“What is it?” he asked, wondering what it could be. He wasn’t sure if he should be worried or not.

“I wanted to see what you thought about the possibility of starting a clinic for pregnant women here in Gotham,” she revealed, biting at her bottom lip. “I know Gotham is your city, but it’s become important to me too. I want to provide free services for women who can’t afford proper care as well as support and counseling for those who have lost a baby. I don’t want Jacey to be forgotten. I want to honor her memory by helping others who need it.”

Bruce reached over and took her hand in his, lacing his fingers with hers. “I think that is a wonderful idea, Diana,” he softly said, touched by her compassion and her desire to help others. It was so Diana to want to turn a tragic loss for herself into a blessing for other people.

“You really think so?”

“I do…I love it,” he confirmed. “I’d be happy to help you raise the funding for it. We’ll have to look for a place for your clinic. I know Leslie would be anxious to help us get it started too.”

Diana threw her arms around Bruce, overwhelmed by his generosity. “I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am that you’re with me on this,” she murmured. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

Bruce returned her embrace, holding her close. “No need to thank me, Diana,” he reassured her. “I’m honored that you want me to help you with it.”

“There’s no one else that I’d rather have by my side,” she confessed as she pulled back to gaze into his azure eyes.

Bruce fought the overwhelming urge to kiss her right there, knowing it wasn’t the time. He needed to take things slow with her, allowing her time to get used to the idea of them as something more than just friends and teammates. He didn’t want to push her into something that she wasn’t ready for.

This was definitely the Diana that he’d known for the last four and a half years, and yet there was something more to her…something that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. There was wisdom…a special kind of strength and growth that came with being forced to endure difficult life experiences. 

Death definitely changed a person either for worse or for better. For him, it had been both. It had given birth to the Batman, which was for the betterment of Gotham and the world. At the same time, it had caused him to lock away his heart and his emotions out of fear of being hurt again, keeping everyone on the sideline.

For Diana, she had taken that loss and turned it into something for the better, learning from the experience and using it to help others through it. He found himself falling even more in love with her as he stared at her, his hand moving to cup her cheek.

“I’m so proud of you, princess,” he told her.

Diana looked at him in surprise, his admission stunning her. “I’m afraid there isn’t much to be proud of, Bruce,” she decided with a frown. “I wasn’t handling things very well before I left for Themyscira. I felt as if I’d let everyone down…including myself. I’d lost my way…my sense of self.”

“No, Diana…never,” he assured her. “Everyone deals with loss in different ways. I’m afraid I didn’t deal with the loss of my parents very well. If I had, I wouldn’t have been so closed off to everyone, keeping people…you…on the outside trying so hard to get in.”

“It’s okay, Bruce,” she softly said. “I understand now why you handled their death the way that you did.”

Bruce’s eyebrows furrowed as he stared at her. “You do?”

She nodded her head as tears glistened in her eyes. “I wanted to close myself off to everyone too…crawl inside of myself and never come back out,” she revealed. “Death of a loved one makes you not want to let anyone get close to you ever again.”

Bruce swallowed hard, remembering all too well that feeling after his parents were murdered. It was after that he’d meticulously started building that wall around his heart to keep it from ever being broken again. “It was far too easy,” he murmured.

“I can see that, but Aphrodite visited me before I left Themyscira for Gotham,” she divulged. “She helped me understand some things, not only about what I went through but about what you’ve been through as well. I better understand what you endured, why you protect your heart so fiercely, and how you carry that loss with you every day.”

Bruce could scarcely believe it. No one but Alfred and Dick had understood his loss, and even then, he kept most of it to himself. After what she went through, Diana did as well. He wasn’t certain how he felt about it. The death of his parents was something that he’d kept locked inside, never sharing that pain with anyone else, but Diana knew that loss all too well now also.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that,” he told her. “If I had gotten there sooner, maybe I could have done something to save him and your baby.”

“It’s all right,” she assured him. “This is the way it was supposed to be. I’ve learned to accept that now.”

“You’re stronger than any of us, Diana,” he replied. “You amaze me every day with your strength and your courage. You give me faith when I have none.”

Diana dipped her head as a smile formed on her face, his words giving her heart wings. “So, how do you think everyone will react when I return to the League?” she asked, abruptly changing the subject.

“Be prepared to be mauled by everyone, especially by Wally,” he warned her, pausing to down the rest of his coffee. “Are you sure you’re ready to return to the League already? If you want to take a little more time to get adjusted, I’m sure everyone would understand.”

“No,” she readily replied with a definitive shake of her head. “I’ve been gone long enough. It’s time to return to my life.”

“I’ll keep Wally in line.”

“It’s okay, Bruce,” she tried to tell him.

“Oh, it will be my pleasure,” he insisted with a smirk.

“I’m just dreading my evaluation with J’onn,” she confessed as she fiddled with her fork. “I’m really not looking forward to opening up fresh wounds that have just begun to heal.”

“You know that J’onn will be sensitive to your situation,” he reminded her. “He’s not going to make you relive it all. He wants to make sure that you’re stable enough to return to duty.”

Diana chuckled softly as she picked up her glass of juice. “Stable?” she said. “That’s going to be in question.”

“Hey, if he thinks I’m stable, then you’re a shoo-in,” he teased.

“Bruce, you are far from unstable,” she assured him. “You may be painfully stubborn and paranoid to a fault, but you are not unstable.”

“Gee, thanks, princess,” he muttered.

“It was a compliment,” she told him, patting his thigh.

“Yeah, I’m sure it was in there somewhere if I look hard enough.”

“Let’s go get ready,” she said, standing to her feet. “There’s no sense putting this off any longer.”

Bruce tended to disagree with that sentiment. He would have preferred to keep her to himself for a bit longer, but he could tell that she was fully ready to return. She’d been gone from the League for over five months, far longer than that for her in the other universe.

He just hoped that she wasn’t overwhelmed by it all.

**_Watchtower (MU)_ **

“Now, Wally, don’t overwhelm her,” Shayera told him as they waited in the transportation room for her arrival. “There will be plenty of time to catch up with her later.”

“Why does everyone think that I’m going to be a problem?” Wally innocently asked as he looked at each of the gathered heroes. “How do you know that Supes here won’t be the problem?”

“I’m fine,” Superman said with a smile. “I’m in complete control.”

“Wally, you usually are a problem,” John reminded him.

“That was just hurtful,” he replied, feigning heartbreak. “I can’t help it that I get overly excited sometimes, and it just oozes out.”

“It’s more like gushes out,” John muttered. “Just dig deep and try to find some measure of restraint.”

“I’ve got it under control,” he assured them as the transporter lit up. “She’s here! She’s here! She’s here!”

“Don’t make me contain you in a bubble,” John threatened him.

“It seems I have a welcoming party,” Diana said as she appeared on the transport pad with Batman at her side.

“Wondy!” Flash cried, racing up to the transporter pad and throwing his arms around her. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“Flash,” Batman growled.

Diana chuckled as she returned Wally’s embrace. “I’ve missed you too, Wally.”

“Are you okay?” he asked as he released her. “I know you aren’t totally okay because a part of you will always be hurt, but are you okay enough to be back? Do you need an iced mocha? What about a snack? Please don’t leave us ever again.”

“I’m fine…really,” she attempted to pacify their worry as she looked upon her founding teammates. “I can’t begin to tell you how much I’ve missed you. Being away from all of you…not being able to be Wonder Woman was one of the hardest things that I’ve ever been forced to face.”

“We’re just happy to have you back, rookie,” John teased with a grin. “It just hasn’t been the same around here without you.”

“It’s been too quiet around here,” J’onn said with an uncharacteristic upturn of his lips. “I’ve had no one telling me I that needed to spend more time away from the Watchtower.”

Diana smiled broadly in return, remembering all too well the conversation they’d had about his lack of socialization. “I told my friends in the other universe that I was sure you all missed my bossiness.”

“It’s just good to have you back to help me keep these guys in line,” Shayera added, hugging the Amazon. “Donna tried, but I think they’re more scared of you than her.”

Diana couldn’t help but chuckle. “Donna can be very fearsome in her own right,” she reminded them. “I’m sure she didn’t feel as though she should push it too much since she was the rookie of the group.”

“I saw her temper flare a time or two on missions,” Superman revealed. “I have a feeling she could be a force to be reckoned with as well.”

“You have no idea,” Diana agreed.

“Maybe we should continue this in the conference room,” Batman interjected, his hand moving to rest against the small of Diana’s back.

“Good idea!” Flash declared. “Shay and I set up a feast in there to celebrate Wondy’s return.”

“That was supposed to be a surprise,” Shay told him, elbowing him in the ribs.

“I know, but I don’t want the ice cream to melt,” he reminded her.

“Let’s just go already,” John groused.

As they exited the transporter room, Diana fell in step with Shayera, a knowing smile on her face. “So…you and John?”

Shayera stared straight ahead, but the grin on her face told her everything. “Batman has a big mouth.”

“You and John just don’t know how to be discreet,” Batman stated from the other side of Diana.

Shayera’s head snapped to the side to glare at the Dark Knight. “Do you have the whole Watchtower bugged?”

A twitch of a smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth, causing Diana to chuckle. “I think you better just keep whatever is going on between you and John in your quarters, Shay,” Diana told her.

“Diana!”

Diana stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Black Canary and Green Arrow approaching her. She felt her stomach drop at the sight of them, remembering the Ollie and Dinah she had left behind in the other dimension. She and Bruce had just had dinner with them the night that Bruce had been killed, and she lost Jacey.

She felt tears sting her eyes as panic caused a churning in her gut, but she abruptly tamped down on the feeling as Dinah hugged her. “It’s so good to have you back,” she said. “It’s been like a floating morgue up here without you.”

“It’s good to be back,” Diana replied, hugging Ollie next. “I really missed you guys.”

“We missed you too,” Ollie told her. “Now, you can attend our wedding.”

“You’re engaged?” Diana asked, her chest growing tight.

Dinah raised her hand to show her large diamond engagement ring. “Just last night,” she revealed.

“Congratulations,” Diana murmured, trying to hold herself together.

“We’ll catch up with you guys later,” Ollie said. “We need to go put in our request for time off in October for the wedding.”

Diana felt an icy chill wash over her as they walked past them, her breath catching in her throat. She felt Batman’s hand gripping her upper arm as if steadying her. It helped to ground her as she turned to look into his cowled face, the panic beginning to settle a little.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She nodded her head as a tear escaped against her will, quickly brushing it away in embarrassment. “I had dinner with Dinah and Ollie the night Bruce was killed,” she revealed, her voice barely above a whisper. “They were planning their October wedding.”

“Oh, Diana,” Shayera sympathetically murmured, placing her hand on the Amazon’s back.

“Do you want to leave?” he asked her.

“No,” she replied, drawing a shuddering breath. “Seeing them hit me harder than I thought it would,” she admitted. “It just took me by surprise.”

“Diana, we definitely don’t have to do this now,” Shayera told her.

The Amazon princess lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders. “No, I need to do this. I can’t run and hide every time something reminds me of my other life.”

Shayera looked at Batman, wondering if they should make her leave, but she knew deep down that trying to make the Amazon do anything was a major undertaking that was met with little or no success. He gave her an almost imperceptible shake of his head as his lips thinned into a worried line.

“Let’s go,” he decided. “Everyone’s waiting for us.”

The three silently made their way to the conference room, Batman’s worry growing with every step they took. He hated watching her struggle with painful reminders, but he also knew that it was something she was going to have to deal with whether he liked it or not. He struggled even now with little things that suddenly seemed to pop up out of nowhere, reminding him of his parents or their death. It still rattled him even after all this time.

He wanted to be able to protect Diana from those instances, but he knew how impossible that undertaking was. All he could hope to do was to be there to comfort and support her at those difficult times.

XXX

“Diana, please do not be nervous,” J’onn said, leaning forward to place a hand on top of hers. “This is not meant to make you relive everything you went through. I only want to determine your state of mind to make sure that you’re safe to return for duty.”

“I understand,” she replied with a curt nod. “I’m just ready to get this over with so I can resume my responsibilities again.”

“I’m sure I’ll be able to clear you after our meeting, Diana,” he assured her. “How are you feeling about being back on the Watchtower?”

Diana ran her hands over the armrests of her chair before her fingers finally wrapped around each one to hold tightly. “I have to admit it’s a little overwhelming…more so than I thought it would be.”

“How so?”

“The support from everyone…it’s been wonderful…” she tentatively replied, her voice trailing off as she shook her head.

“But?”

“I don’t want to be treated any differently because of everything I’ve been through,” she explained. “Everyone looks at me like I’m going to break at any moment. I don’t want to be coddled or treated any differently.”

“Diana, no one knows about what you went through except for the Founders,” he stated. “We felt it was up to you to tell your story if you decide to.”

The Amazon princess looked down at her hands that were now in her lap. “I’m not ashamed of anything that happened in that world,” she softly said. “It was difficult, but I don’t regret it.”

“And yet you feel as though you failed everyone,” he finished for her.

She pursed her lips as she nodded her head, hooking a raven lock behind her ear as she tried to put her feelings into words. “I do,” she confessed. “I wasn’t able to be Wonder Woman, to spread the message of the Amazons or represent the Justice League. I wasn’t able to protect Bruce or our baby…I wasn’t able to explain what happened that night to Alfred or Dick. I left all of them without even saying goodbye or telling them how sorry I am that I couldn’t save Bruce. That has been one of the hardest things for me to accept.”

“That had to be very difficult to deal with, but you can’t carry the blame for something that wasn’t your fault,” he replied. “You couldn’t have done anything to save Bruce, Diana. You were losing your baby. Your body was in a state of shock, and you didn’t have your powers.”

“I understand, but I feel as though I brought nothing but pain to their family,” she admitted. “If I had left soon after waking, Bruce would still be alive…and none of this would’ve happened.”

“That may be, but there is so much you would have missed out on,” J’onn pointed out. “Didn’t you tell me how much life I was missing out on by spending all of my time up here on the Watchtower? We cannot stop living our lives or avoid certain situations out of fear of what may or may not happen, Diana.”

“That’s what Aphrodite said,” she relented. “It’s still hard knowing that people were hurt because of me.”

“Have you thought about looking at it a different way?” J’onn asked.

Diana’s brow furrowed as she stared at the Martian Manhunter. “What do you mean?”

“What if you had left right after waking,” he ventured. “No one knows what sort of encounters you may have had…which people you would have met or the dangers that you avoided by staying at Wayne Manor.”

“You mean I could’ve run into darker, more dangerous situations than what I experienced,” she said.

J’onn nodded in response. “As tragic as the outcome turned out to be, Bruce’s and Jacey’s death may have been the lesser of two evils.”

“I didn’t think about other possibilities,” she murmured more to herself than her friend. “I was too consumed with guilt to think about any other possible situations.”

“I’m not trying to minimize what you went through, Diana,” he explained. “I am merely trying to point out that by not leaving the manor, you may have avoided an even worse tragedy.”

“I can’t imagine anything much worse than losing a baby,” she softly said.

“I know what you’re going through,” he just as softly replied. “The worst moment of my life was when I lost my wife and children."

“I’m sorry, J’onn,” she apologized, reaching across to touch his hand. “I don’t think I ever fully understood the pain that you, Bruce, and Kal have experienced by losing your families until now. I had a taste of it when I was exiled, but nothing comes close to comparing to this ache that is a permanent part of me now.”

“You have grown so much through this, my friend,” he praised her. “I sense a new maturity and strength within you as well as even deeper compassion. I’m proud of how you have come through this stronger than before.”

“That’s what Bruce said,” she admitted.

A slight smile formed on J’onn’s face. “I sense you still have strong feelings for him.”

“They never went away,” she confessed. “I think they may be stronger than ever before now.”

“Give him a chance, Diana,” he encouraged her.

“I want to,” she replied. “There is still a lingering fear about having a relationship with him. I know it’s irrational, but I’m afraid I’m going to lose him too.”

“If there is one thing that I have learned about Batman, it’s that we should never count him out,” he reminded her. “There are many times that he should have been killed but managed to escape. He’s a warrior like you, Diana. Someone like that is difficult to eliminate.”

“I know,” she agreed with a nod of her head. “I can’t help thinking…what if he doesn’t make it through the next time.”

“That’s what he’s feared about you,” he revealed. “I cannot divulge things that I’ve picked up from him, but I can tell you that he shares some of your very same fears.”

“I feel like I better understand him now after everything I endured.”

“It’s time to go out there and be Wonder Woman again.”

“You’re clearing me?”

“I am,” he said with a nod as he stood to his feet. “I have no reservations about immediately releasing you to full duty.”

Diana stood up, hugging J’onn. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” he responded, returning her embrace.

“You know I’m going to want to meet this woman to see if I approve,” she teased him as she released her hold on him.

“I have no doubt,” he said with a small smirk. “Welcome home, Wonder Woman.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So happy things are getting back to normal!
> 
> UP NEXT: Bruce surprises Diana...who later go out on a date that leads to a very heated encounter. :)
> 
> Started writing Family Crisis! You guys are going to flip when you see what I have planned!


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

**_Gotham (MU)_ **

Diana glanced at Bruce, wondering what he was up to now. She could tell by the expression on his face that he had a definite plan in mind, but what that actually was had yet to be revealed. It had to be something good if the air of anticipation that he exuded was any indication.

Where are we going?” she finally asked after several minutes.

“You’ll see when we get there,” he replied, keeping his eyes on the road.

“You already told me that when we left the manor,” she reminded him. “Do I get a hint?”

“No,” he stated.

Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. She thought it might have something to do with her free clinic that they’d been planning together for the last month, but she didn’t want to ruin his surprise. It was more than obvious that he was excited about whatever he had hidden up his sleeve.

Then again, it might not have anything to do with the clinic. Could it be a date of some kind that he had planned for them? She glanced down at the clothes that she was wearing, hoping that it was appropriate for whatever he had planned. If she weren’t dressed right, he would have told her to change.

Looking out the passenger window, her thoughts began to drift back over the last month. It had been wonderful working so closely with Bruce on her dream of a free clinic. He had been a wealth of valuable information that helped to point her in the right direction, hopefully building something that would remain a positive influence in Gotham for many years to come.

“We’re here,” Bruce announced as they pulled up in front of a rundown building.

“Bruce, what is this?” she asked as she looked at the building.

“It could be the place for your new clinic,” he revealed as he got out of the car, Diana following.

“What was this place?”

“It used to be a medical supply company for many years, but they went out of business a couple of years ago,” he explained, taking her hand in his as he led her to the front of the building that was in definite need of repair. “If you like it, it’s yours.”

Diana stared in stunned disbelief at the building, her heart beginning to beat a little harder as ideas began to spring to mind. “Do you mean it?”

Bruce pulled a set of keys out of his pants pocket, dangling them before the princess. “Let’s see what you think of it.”

Taking the keys, she tried to keep the faint tremor she felt rolling through her at bay as she unlocked the front door. Opening the doors, she discovered sunlight streaming in through a couple of broken windows, highlighting the countless cobwebs that dangled from the ceiling. There was a thin film of dust over everything, but she could see the potential.

Diana barely saw all the things that would need to be repaired or the extensive work it would take to get it up and running. All she could see was the possibilities and the finished product. It made her heart soar, knowing that she was one step closer to seeing her dream for Jacey becoming a reality.

“I know it’s going to take some work, but Wayne Construction can take care of whatever renovations you want,” he told her as they slowly made their way through the building. “We can completely change the layout to suit you or, we can look someplace else. You don’t have to settle for this site. There are plenty of other buildings in Gotham that are in dire need of saving.”

Diana turned to him, her arms slipping around his neck. “This is perfect,” she murmured as she hugged him tightly.

Bruce’s arms snaked around her waist as he buried his face in her hair. “It’s all yours, princess,” he told her.

“Really?” she gasped as she retreated to look into his face, tears stinging her eyes.

He nodded as his lips curled into a grin. “I bought it this morning.”

“You did?”

“It’s all yours to do with as you want.”

“I can’t believe it,” she whispered, stunned by the revelation. “You bought it for me?”

“I believe in you, Diana,” he replied. “I want your clinic to become a reality.”

“I don’t know how to thank you,” she said, shaking her head as she looked around her in wonder. “I wish I could pay you back.”

“The smile on your face is the only payback I need,” he told her, his hand moving to cradle the curve of her face as his thumb caressed her cheek. “I’ve missed your smile so much.”

Her lips quirked into a bright smile as she melted into his touch. “You’ve given me many reasons to smile again,” she replied.

Bruce slowly began to lean in to kiss her when a little Dalmatian puppy wandered into the room, barking loudly at the intruders. Bruce frowned at the unexpected interloper for interrupting the intimate moment. He unwillingly released his hold on Diana as they turned their attention to the puppy.

“Hey, where did you come from little guy?” Diana asked as she knelt, putting her hand out for the puppy to sniff.

The puppy tentatively approached, stretching out his neck to tentatively sniff at her hand. Deciding that he liked her, he began to excitedly lick at her fingers, causing Diana to laugh in response. Bruce stood behind her, folding his arms across his chest.

“Be careful, princess,” he warned her. “There’s no telling where he came from. He’s probably full of fleas and ticks.”

Diana picked the puppy up in her arms, holding him close to her chest. “Bruce, it’s a puppy, not a Minotaur,” she told him. “He’s adorable and he doesn’t have fleas.”

“Don’t even think about bringing that mangy thing into the manor,” he stated, his voice leaving no room for discussion.

“He was abandoned and left on the street by his owner,” she replied.

Bruce’s eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the puppy snuggling in her arms, wishing it were him instead. “How do you know that?”

“I can communicate with animals,” she revealed. “It’s one of my gifts.”

“Of course, it is,” he said with a frown.

“Bruce, he’s just hungry, and needs a bath,” she insisted. “I think we should keep him.”

“Of course, you do,” he muttered.

“I think he could stay here,” Diana decided. “He would be a great comfort to the women coming in for help. Animals have proven to be very therapeutic, and he could guard the clinic at night when it’s closed.”

“That does make sense,” he reluctantly agreed, reaching out to scratch the cute puppy behind the ears. “He can stay at the manor until the building is completed and then he stays here.”

“Thank you, Bruce,” she replied, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek as the puppy licked his neck at the same time.

“Okay…okay,” he said, taking a step back as he wiped his neck off with the back of his hand. “What are you going to name him?”

Diana’s expression became thoughtful as she held the puppy up in front of her, studying him intently. “Pepper,” she ultimately decided with a grin. “Your look like salt and pepper.”

Bruce just shook his head in amusement, the Amazon princess endearing herself to him even more at that moment as he gazed at her. “Only you, princess,” he said with a chuckle.

“What?” she asked as she looked at Bruce. “He likes his name.”

“Let’s go get some lunch and get some puppy supplies,” he said.

“You get to come with us,” she told the puppy. “Now, don’t make a mess in Bruce’s car or he’ll make me fly you home.”

“I can’t believe I’m letting that thing into my car,” he muttered to himself.

“Pepper said he wouldn’t make a mess.”

“I must have lost my mind,” he murmured as they exited the building that would become the home of the new women’s free clinic.

XXX

“Shouldn’t we put him on a leash?” Bruce asked as they were seated at a table outside of the restaurant.

“No,” she replied with a firm shake of her head. “I told him he needed to sit here by my feet. Pepper promised he wouldn’t run off.”

“He’s getting a bath as soon as we get home,” he said, wrinkling his nose.

“Are you going to help me?” she sweetly asked with a grin.

“No way,” he adamantly stated. “He’s your responsibility, princess. Besides, I need to contact the contractor at Wayne Construction to see how soon he can meet with us to start the renovations on the building.”

“I still can’t believe you bought that building for me,” she replied. “What would you have done if I had said I didn’t like it?”

Bruce shrugged his shoulders as he took a drink of his iced tea. “Renovated it for another project,” he revealed. “I’m always looking for property to renovate to improve Gotham.”

“You have no idea how much it means to me that you want to help me with this,” she told him. “Jacey wasn’t even your daughter, and yet you didn’t turn your back on my dream or my desire to honor her.”

Bruce reached over beside him to entwine his fingers with hers. “Diana, Jacey was important to you,” he explained. “You loved her…she was a part of you. That’s all that matters to me.”

“I’ve loved working with you on this project over the last month,” she replied, squeezing his hand.

“I’ve enjoyed it as well,” he admitted.

“Well, isn’t this cozy?”

Bruce froze as Diana looked up to find Selina Kyle standing on the sidewalk staring at them. Flashbacks of a similar experience assaulted her, memories of Talia showing up after her doctor’s appointment with Leslie. It caused her stomach to churn as her heart began to hammer beneath her breastbone.

“Selina,” Bruce greeted her. “What have you been up to?”

“Oh, just out doing some shopping,” she casually replied, turning her attention to the Amazon. “I heard she was back. Just had to jump on that right away, didn’t you, Bruce?”

“What happens between Diana and me is none of your business, Selina,” he stated. “You and I have been over for a long time.”

“And I see you have a puppy together,” she noted, ignoring his comment. “How cute.”

“Is there something I can do for you?” he asked, wishing she would leave.

“You should know that you’ll never get more than a puppy out of bruce,” she told Diana. “Bruce was never one for babies. Of course, I don’t know, though. Can Amazons get pregnant?”

Diana’s hands curled into fists, leveling a deadly glare at the cat thief. “I don’t believe that is any concern of yours either,” she bit back.

“Don’t you have someone else you’d like to stab in the back?” he spat out.

“Ouch,” she replied, feigning hurt. “You know that wasn’t personal, Bruce.”

“It was to me,” he ground out. “Goodbye, Selina.”

She sniffed, lifting her chin in the air before storming away. Bruce turned to Diana, an apologetic look on his face. “I’m sorry, Diana,” he softly said. “She had no right to say that to you. I hope she didn’t hurt you.”

“It’s all right,” she assured him. “Selina doesn’t bother me.”

“It’s obvious she upset you,” he replied with a grim expression.

“It just reminded him of an incident with Bruce in the other dimension,” she revealed, her hand moving to her stomach. “He ran into his ex then too. He had a similar encounter with Talia.”

“I know how difficult that is,” he told her. “Even now, there are still things that pop up out of nowhere that remind me of my parents. It’s something that you carry with you no matter how long ago it happened.”

“It’s getting a little better,” she revealed. “It still stings, but it’s not as sharp as it used to be.”

“Diana, I need to explain Lois to you,” he ventured. 

“It’s all right,” she said. “I shouldn’t have gotten angry with you. You don’t me owe any explanations about your past relationships.”

“I know you were hurt to find out I went out with her,” he pressed. “It was only a couple of dates, and then we ended up together on a mission. She discovered that I was Batman. I asked her to move to Gotham with me, but she wisely declined.”

“It’s okay,” she assured him. “I know you’ve been out with lots of women over the years. It just took me by surprise that you’d been out with Lois too.”

“It was long before the Justice League or meeting you,” he continued. “It definitely wouldn’t have worked out between us. Lois is a little too aggressive and in your face for my taste. She’s far better suited for Clark and his laidback personality.”

“I have to admit I have a hard time picturing you two together.”

“There’s someone else that I’d rather picture myself with,” he flirted.

“Oh, really?” she asked with a grin. “Is she someone I know?”

“I think so,” he replied. “Do you think she’d go out with me tomorrow night?”

Diana cupped her chin in her hand, the corner of her lips quirking as her elbow came to rest on top of the table. “I think she would love to.”

“Great,” he said. “I’ll take care of everything.”

“I’ll have to see what I can find to wear,” she decided. “How will I know how to dress?”

“Alfred knows where we’re going and can help you,” he assured her. “He’s a master at dressing anyone for any occasion.”

“Not going to give me a hint?” she asked, abruptly holding up a hand. “No, I know. No hints.”

Bruce took her hand, bending it to kiss the back of it. “You will find out soon enough, princess.”

**_Gotham (MU)_ **

Diana smoothed out her dress as she walked down the stairs, wondering where Bruce was taking her tonight. She couldn’t help the flutter of excitement that was roiling in her stomach in anticipation of the evening that lay ahead for them.

She honestly thought she’d never see the day that Bruce Wayne would actually make the first move in initiating a date with her. Now that he had, she couldn’t deny the trepidation that she felt. She knew that she wanted this more than anything, but some doubts lingered.

“Miss Diana, you look positively lovely,” Alfred greeted her.

“Thank you, Alfred,” she replied, glancing down at the stunning champagne-colored dress that she wore. “I can’t thank you enough for helping me pick it out.”

“It was you who spotted it first,” he reminded her. “I merely gave my stamp of approval.”

“As do I.”

Both looked up to find Bruce walking towards them in a suit and tie that made him look even more dashing than normal. “You look very handsome, Mister Wayne,” Diana complimented him, trying to keep the warmth she could feel rising within her from reaching her face with the way he was looking at her.

No one looked at her quite the way that Bruce did…not even his twin. It had been something that she had longed to see again.

“Shall we go?” Bruce asked, offering her his arm.

“Yes, even though I have no idea where we’re going,” she lightly teased.

“Ah, Master Bruce is an expert at keeping secrets,” Alfred pointed out as he opened the front door for them. “Have a wonderful time.”

“We will,” Bruce replied as he escorted Diana out to his waiting convertible sports car.

“The Aston Martin,” Diana noted as he opened the passenger car door for him. “Do I get a turn driving it?”

Bruce nearly choked on his tongue. “We’ll see,” he responded.

Diana chuckled softly as he came around the car to climb into the driver’s seat. “For the first time, I sense real fear in the Batman,” she teased him.

“It’s as bad as if you asked if you could drive the Batmobile,” he told her as they tore down the driveway.

“Can I?” she excitedly asked, her eyes brightening with the notion.

“We’ll see,” he grumbled.

Diana reached over, placing her hand on his thigh. “I’m just teasing you, Bruce,” she assured him. “I only want to fly the Batplane.”

His head whipped to the side, trying his best to ignore the feel of her hand on his thigh. “Not the Batplane.”

“The Batcycle?”

“How about the pickup truck?”

“Land Rover?”

“Nissan.”

“Porsche?”

“How about I buy you a car of your choosing?” he offered. “That way if you wreck it, I won’t care as much.”

“Bruce,” Diana said with a laugh. “That’s terrible.”

“What?” he retorted. “I’ll buy whatever you want. You name it, and it’s yours. Besides, you’re going to need something to get to and from the clinic.”

“How about you just tell me where we’re going instead?”

“We’re almost there, princess,” he told her as they wound their way through the city.

Diana looked up at the evening sky, savoring the wind in her hair. “It’s such a beautiful evening.”

“I thought so too,” he agreed. “We’re going to a place that I know so we can enjoy it.”

“Hmmm…” she thoughtfully hummed as she glanced at their surroundings. “Finally, a hint…not a good one, but it’s more than I had before.”

“Just relax and enjoy the adventure,” he replied with a smirk.

“Is that what this is? An adventure?"

“Diana, every moment spent with you is an adventure.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she ultimately decided.

“You should,” he confirmed as he parked his car at Wayne Towers. “I think you’re going to enjoy this.”

He got out of his car before making his way around to the passenger door, opening it for her. Taking his offered hand, Diana exited the car. “You have an apartment here?”

“The entire top floor,” he informed her as they entered the building.

Entering the elevator, Bruce inserted his card and keyed in the secret code that took them to the top floor. The elevator doors slid open, revealing an expansive apartment that was elegantly decorated in a manner that was befitting billionaire Bruce Wayne.

The apartment had a wall of windows on three sides of it, allowing them an expansive view of Gotham. The sun was beginning to set, creating a breathtaking backdrop to the city that was starting to light up in anticipation of impending nightfall. 

Music played softly as Bruce came to stand beside her, taking her hand in his. Lights were strung around the perimeter of the rooftop as well as around the various potted bushes and plants that gave the roof an almost exotic feeling. She felt as if the stars themselves were surrounding her.

“Bruce, this is incredible,” she murmured with a gasp as her fingers curled around his.

“Just wait,” he told her with a lop-sided grin as he led her through an opening in the wall of windows and out onto the roof.

There was a small table set for two, complete with tablecloths, candles, and red roses, the sounds of the city around them creating distant background noise. “Shall we?” he asked, leading her towards the table that awaited them.

“It’s beautiful up here,” she murmured as she took her seat, Bruce sitting down beside her. “I can’t believe you did all of this just for me.”

“It was no trouble at all,” he assured her, opening the bottle of wine and pouring them each a glass.

A man dressed in a tux came out of the rooftop apartment with a domed tray, removing the cover to reveal two salads. “Thank you,” Diana said. “This looks delicious.”

“Thank you, Phillipe,” Bruce said to the man who gave him a small bow before leaving them alone once more.

“I love it, Bruce,” she told him, smiling warmly at him as she squeezed his hand.

“I thought you might enjoy something a little more private than a restaurant or being at the manor,” he revealed as they dove into their salads. “Here, we won’t have to worry about the boys intruding.”

“This is perfect,” she assured him. “I can’t imagine anything better.”

“I spoke to the contractor today,” Bruce revealed. “He thinks they’ll be able to complete the renovations in about a month.”

“I can hardly believe it,” she marveled. “It won’t be long before the clinic can open.”

“We’ll just need to find staffing and someone to manage it.”

“You get a lot of the credit, Bruce,” she insisted, pausing to take a drink of her wine. “If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have been able to get the funding we needed for it.”

“I believe in this clinic, Diana…and I believe in you,” he replied as the man appeared with two plates of roasted lamb and potatoes. “I’ll do whatever is needed to make this a reality for you and Gotham.”

Diana smiled softly at him. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”

“Have you decided on a name for it yet?”

“I’m having a hard time coming up with something,” she admitted with a wrinkled brow. “I’m not sure if I should include Themyscira in the name or if I should just keep it simple and call it Gotham Pregnancy Clinic.”

“What about the Jacey Wayne Pregnancy Clinic?” he suggested.

Diana stared at him, stunned by his idea. “You would be all right with Jacey’s name being used?”

“Diana, she was a part of you…and in a way, I guess a part of me,” he reminded her. “You’re doing this in her honor. I think it would only be appropriate for her name to be used.”

“But it could generate a lot of questions…people wondering who Jacey Wayne is and if she’s related to you.”

His hand moved to cover hers resting on the table. “Diana, it’s your story to tell if you want to,” he replied. “I’m not going to stand in your way, but I will always stand by your side.”

“Thank you, Bruce,” she murmured with tears shining in her eyes, wanting to apologize to him. “I’m sorry that I left Gotham so abruptly, but I knew that going back to Themyscira was what I had to do for myself. I didn’t want to put it off.”

“There’s no need to apologize, Diana,” he reassured her. “I know you were doing what you had to and that’s all that matters. You needed more than I could give you.”

“No…no, that’s not it at all,” she countered, her hand coming to rest on his forearm. “It had everything to do with me losing my way. I needed to be reminded of where I came from and who I am…what my mission was and my purpose for leaving Themyscira in the first place. I had to find a way to reconcile the guilt that I carried for not being able to save them. I not only found myself again, but it helped me confirm what I want in my life.”

“I’m glad,” he truthfully told her. “I was so worried about you.”

“I know and I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I almost contacted you several times while I was away.”

Bruce chuckled softly, remembering all too well how he had almost gone to Themyscira to see her. “Alfred kept me from going to Themyscira to see you a couple of months after you left.”

“You were going to go to Themyscira?”

Bruce nodded as he focused on his plate. “It felt like you were gone for so long,” he admitted. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” she softly confessed. “There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think about you.”

“Me too,” he said, taking her hand. “I don’t want you to leave ever again.”

“I don’t plan on it.”

He smiled in relief, an awkward silence falling between them before he finally asked, “would you care to dance?”

“I’d love to,” she agreed as she took his hand.

Music softly filled the air as he took her into his arms as they began to dance beneath the canopy of stars with Gotham as their backdrop. It was magical in every way imaginable as they slowly swayed to the music in the comfort of each other’s arms for what left like forever.

He tilted his head, inhaling her jasmine scent as his eyes fell closed. She turned her head, her lips nearly grazing his. He murmured her name, his fingers threading through her hair as they shared the same breath. There was nothing to interrupt them, nothing keeping them from exploring this new level of intimacy in their growing relationship.

A gentle rain began to fall, scattered drops interrupting their dance. Bruce groaned as he looked up into the darkening sky. “It wasn’t supposed to rain until later tonight,” he grumbled.

“No…it’s perfect,” she murmured, capturing his lips in an unexpected kiss that was more than welcomed by the billionaire.

They kissed as the rain fell, their dance all but forgotten. Thunder echoed in the distance as lightning crashed, signaling an impending storm. Bruce reluctantly released her, running for the bottle of wine before grabbing Diana’s hand. They ran inside the apartment as the skies suddenly broke loose.

Bruce set the bottle of wine on the coffee table before removing his wet suit jacket and shoes. “Sorry our date was ruined,” he apologized as he loosened his tie.

“Nothing has been ruined,” she assured him. “I love the rain. Besides, we still have our dessert to look forward to, don’t we?”

The way she said it made Bruce wonder if she meant literal dessert or something more. “It’s your favorite,” he replied as he made his way to the kitchen with Diana following close behind. “Chocolate truffle cheesecake.”

“That’s not my only favorite,” she murmured, grabbing his tie and pulling him in for a heated kiss that stunned him senseless.

Bruce melted into her, his hands finding her hips as he backed her up against the cupboard. Open-mouthed kisses grew hungrier by the moment as hands attempted to explore as much as clothing would allow. He ground his hips against her, his growing arousal becoming more than evident.

“Bruce…” she whispered his name, her hand coming to rest against his jaw. “I have to admit…I’m a little afraid.”

“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered, his lips ghosting over hers in the barest of kisses as his heart began to beat a little harder. “I won’t hurt you.”

“No,” she responded, her forehead coming to rest against his cheekbone as a tremor of anticipation rolled through her. “I’m afraid of losing you…like I lost him. If something happened to you, Bruce…”

“I know I haven’t handled my feelings for you very well, and I’m sorry for that, but I love you, Diana,” he confessed as his other hand cupped the back of her head. “I’ve loved you for so long, but I was afraid too. I didn’t know how I would handle it if something happened to you, but then something did happen, and you were gone…possibly forever. I was suddenly faced with the realization that I could lose you, whether we were together or not. I don’t want to go through this life any longer without you with me.”

She gently brushed the bangs from his forehead, a tender smile on her lips. “I want you, Bruce…right here…now.”

“Don’t you want me to take you to the bedroom?”

“Later,” she whispered as her lips claimed his.

Gripping her hips, he lifted her onto the countertop, pushing her dress up to her waist. His heart nearly stopped beating altogether to find her completely bare beneath her dress. He groaned as his fingers pressed deeper into her hips, his forehead coming to rest against her breastbone as he attempted to gather himself.

She raked her fingers through his damp hair as his fingers found the apex between her thighs. She drew a shuddering breath as he began to stroke her center; her body tensing as pleasure steadily began to build. She moaned softly when he pulled his hand away to free himself from his pants before pulling her to the very edge of the countertop and directly onto him.

Diana bit back a cry of satisfaction as she bit her bottom lip, both adjusting to the intense emotions and sensations pulsating through them. They’d both wanted this for so long, and now they were finally here together, sharing in the love that had steadily grown between them.

Bruce finally lifted his head, his mouth finding hers in a desperate kiss as he clung to the last thread of his self-control. He was resolved to make this last for as long as humanly possible, even though they had the entire night to themselves to explore everything they could together.

His fingers gripped her hair as he began to move his hips, Diana wrapping her legs tightly around his waist. She began to rock her hips, dipping her heels into his lower back, urging him deeper and faster. He grunted softly against her throat as his head came to rest on her shoulder.

Diana’s head fell back as passion spiked through her veins. The pleasure was intense, nearly taking her over the edge right then and there, but she hung on, wanting this to last forever. Thunder and lightning clapped loudly as they finally came undone, breathing exerted and bodies limp with the euphoria that consumed them as the thunderstorm raged outside.

He kissed her deeply as he lifted her off the countertop, keeping himself seated deep inside of her as they exited the kitchen. He carried her to the leather couch in the living room, sitting down with her still wrapped up in his arms and around his waist.

Diana groaned with the feel of him already growing rigid inside of her and turning her on all over again. She shifted her hips, earning a throaty growl as he reached behind her to find the zipper of her dress. Finding it, he gently pulled it down, taking his time revealing the breathtaking prize beneath.

His mouth greedily latched onto her right breast as she removed his tie. His dress shirt, however, didn’t survive her impatient assault as he sucked hard on her breast, his dress shirt shredding in her hands with her cry of pleasure. He smiled to himself with her response, determined to remember what made her gasp and sigh, what made her writhe, and what made her scream his name.

He lifted her dress off her, tossing it aside before flipping her onto her back on the couch, settling over her with a lustful glint in his cobalt blue eyes. “I think I need to have you in every single room of my apartment,” he readily decided as he hovered above her.

Diana lifted her head from the pillow, kissing him soundly. She nipped at his bottom lip as she lightly raked her fingernails down his back. “As long as you feed me cheesecake in between, I’m all in,” she agreed as she squeezed her inner walls around him, nearly causing his eyes to roll back in his head.

She ripped his pants and boxers off, leaving him as bare as she was save for her high heels. He growled in response, pinning her wrists above her head. “That was an expensive Italian suit you just destroyed,” he growled as he descended on her throat.

Diana bucked her hips, causing him to grunt in response. “So, are you going to make me pay for it?” she seductively teased as she raked her teeth over her bottom lip.

Bruce’s breath caught in his throat as a smirk formed on his lips. “You’re a very bad princess,” he huskily chided her.

“Are you going to punish me?” she flirted, nipping at his earlobe before sucking on it.

“Most definitely,” he rasped as he began to make love to her again.

XXX

Diana awoke with a sleepy, sated smile on her lips. She stretched languidly, her body aching in the most pleasurable way. She was certain she would have bruises if it weren’t for her Amazonian constitution. She just hoped that Bruce wasn’t too battered after countless bouts of lovemaking with a passionate Amazon princess.

The smell of breakfast caused her to roll on her side, opening an eye, and finding a single red rose sitting on her bedside table. She smiled as she picked up the rose, bringing it to her nose. She knew at that moment that Bruce Wayne was her soulmate…her one true love.

He had been all along but being in that other universe had thrown a curveball into her life. It had allowed her a chance to love another while giving Bruce a glimpse of a life without her. In the end, it had been what they had both needed, helping them to grow…preparing them for a life with each other.

“Wake up, sleepyhead.”

“I don’t want to,” she told him, keeping her eyes closed as she burrowed deeper into the pillows behind her. “I’m afraid if I open my eyes, I’ll find out last night was just a dream.”

Bruce smiled as he set the tray of food down on the bedside table before sitting down on the edge of the bed. His hands came to rest on either side of her body as he leaned over her, his lips gently caressing hers to reassure her it was no dream.

Diana hummed with his kisses, her arms slipping up around his neck. “I don’t want this to end,” she told him as she opened her eyes to gaze up into his handsome face.

“It doesn’t have to,” he assured her, brushing her tousled hair from her face. “Stay with me at the manor.”

“I’d love nothing more,” she replied as she pulled him down on top of her as she kissed him breathless, breakfast suddenly forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: YAAAY! They're together!
> 
> UP NEXT: Last chapter! What will happen to our favorite duo?
> 
> NOTE: I was going to write a Thanksgiving fic but I was too busy finishing Chp 1 of Family Crisis! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving if you celebrate. :)


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

**_Gotham (MU)_ **

Diana’s hands found her hips as she looked around, a satisfied smile slowly forming on her face. She could hardly believe that it was all coming together at long last. Her eyes traveled over every aspect of the room finding her excitement difficult to contain.

“Diana!” Bruce called to her. “Come get your puppy!”

Diana chuckled as she went to see what Pepper was up to now. Walking down the hall, she found Bruce in one of the exam rooms. He was laying on the floor working beneath the desk, finishing setting up the last computer. Pepper had his teeth firmly planted on the hem of Bruce’s jeans, tugging mightily in an effort to get him out from under the desk.

“Pepper, come here,” she called to him as she crouched down. “You need to let Bruce finish his work.”

Pepper bounded towards Diana, leaping into her waiting arms. She straightened up, holding the Dalmatian puppy against her chest as she scratched behind his ears. He stretched his neck up, licking her chin as his tale excitedly wagged back and forth.

“I think he’s going to be a great addition to the clinic,” Diana said.

Bruce crawled out from under the desk, setting his tools aside as he sat up to look at his girlfriend. “We’ll see,” he replied. “I found a puddle on the floor this afternoon.”

“Pepper, no more accidents in the clinic,” Diana chided him, holding the puppy up so she could look into the his eyes before turning her attention to Bruce. “Problem solved. He promised no more accidents.”

Bruce frowned as he got to his feet. “Just like that?” he questioned her. “Forgive me if I don’t take his word for it.”

“Bruce, he’s just a puppy…like a baby,” she reminded him. “He just needed a little reminder.”

“I’m sure,” he muttered as Pepper barked at him.

“He thinks you don’t like him,” she informed him with an amused grin.

Bruce shook his head as he patted Pepper on the head. “I don’t mind the puppy. I just don’t like the mess,” he clarified. “Are we all done here?”

“I just finished with the waiting room,” she revealed as they walked out towards the lobby with the puppy in her arms. “Tell me what you think.”

“I love it,” he told her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “It’s very warm and welcoming…like walking into someone’s home.”

“That’s perfect,” she replied as she leaned into him, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. “It’s exactly what I was going for. I want women to feel comfortable and cared for here. I want it to be like walking into a friend’s home.”

Bruce kissed the top of her head as he tightened his hold on her. “You did an amazing job putting it all together,” he praised her. “Gotham is really going to benefit from a clinic like this.”

“Well, we open tomorrow,” she said as she pulled out of his embrace, setting Pepper down before walking over to straighten a small pillow resting on one of the couches. “I hope it goes well.”

“I have a meeting at work tomorrow morning that I can’t miss, but I’ll be here all afternoon to help out wherever you need me,” he revealed.

Diana turned to stare at him, taken aback by his offer. “You took off work tomorrow afternoon to be here for me?”

Bruce made his way to her, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. “There’s no other place I’d rather be,” he assured her. “Alfred has already placed an order for lunch from Palazzolo’s to be delivered for everyone tomorrow. If my meeting goes well, I should be here in time to have lunch with you.”

Diana slipped her arms around her lover, kissing him with all the passion that teemed inside of her for this man. He returned her kiss, knowing there was nothing that he wouldn’t do for this woman. She made him want to be a better man…a better everything all for her. He knew he didn’t deserve her after how he had treated her before, but he was going to do whatever it took to be worthy of her.

He had denied them both this for so long and he was going to do whatever it took to make it up to her. He wanted to savor every moment…relish every opportunity that he had with her, making the most of the time that they had together. He knew that he had wasted so much of it already.

“All right, take a breather,” Dick said as he entered the clinic with Tim.

“Go away,” Bruce muttered as he broke the kiss, leveling his eldest with a glare.

“You told me to be here at this time,” Dick reminded him, pointing at the face of his watch on his wrist.

Bruce looked at the large clock at the wall, realizing how late it had gotten. “It’s nearly six o’clock already?”

“You should leave them alone, Dick,” Tim decided as he knelt to play with Pepper. “I think they’re perfect together. Hey, can we get a puppy for home?”

“Let’s adjust to this one first,” Bruce decided.

“Yeah, but Pepper isn’t at the manor,” Tim pointed out. “He’s staying here at the clinic.”

“You can always come here to play with him,” Bruce offered.

“Yeah, because every teenage boy wants to hang out a pregnancy clinic,” Dick uttered with a laugh.

Bruce shrugged a shoulder. “The clinic can always use volunteers.”

“Then, I volunteer to come over and take care of Pepper,” Tim said.

“That would be very helpful, Tim,” Diana told him. “Pepper will need to be fed and given baths.”

“I can do that,” he readily agreed, laughing as Pepper licked his face.

“If you do a good job, we can talk about getting a dog at home,” Bruce said.

“I want to name him Ace,” Tim replied.

“We better get going if we don’t want to miss dinner,” Dick reminded them, casting a glance at Bruce.

“Right,” Bruce said with a nod. “We don’t want to keep Alfred waiting.”

“But you two didn’t get a tour of the clinic yet,” Diana noted.

“We’re going to come back tomorrow,” Dick readily replied. “You can give us a tour then.”

“All right,” Diana murmured, walking over to turn the lights off.

Bruce took her hand, leading out the front door as Tim and Dick yelled “surprise”. Diana stopped short at the sight of the brand-new blue Land Rover SUV sitting in front of the clinic. “Is this for me?” she said, looking to Bruce.

Bruce dangled the car keys in front of her, a grin on his face. “It’s all for you, princess.”

“I…I don’t know what to say,” she murmured in shock, taking the keys from him before making her way towards the waiting SUV that gleamed in the sun like a jewel.

“You’re going to need a vehicle of your own to get around Gotham and to get to and from the clinic,” Bruce reminded her.

“And Bruce wasn’t about to give you one of his cars,” Dick interjected with a chuckle.

“Do you like it?” Tim asked, nearly bouncing with excitement. “I helped pick it out.”

“I love it,” she replied, turning and kissing Bruce. “I’ve never had my own car before.”

“Dick and I just picked it up for you,” Tim volunteered. “It’s all gassed up and ready to go.”

“Do you know how to drive, Diana?” Dick asked.

“Of course, she does,” Bruce replied, pausing for a moment. “You do know how to drive, don’t you?”

“If I can fly my jet and the Javelin, then I can drive a car,” she assured them. “It can’t be that different. Who wants to ride with me?”

“Uh, I have my motorcycle,” Dick said, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder at his bike.

“I think I better ride with Dick to make sure he remembers how to get back to the manor,” Tim ultimately decided, quickly following his older brother.

Bruce held up his hands in defense. “I drove the Porsche here.”

“Cowards,” Diana said, her narrowed gaze eyeing each one of them as they backed away. “All of you are cowards.”

Bruce leaned in and kissed her soundly. “Sorry, princess, but we all like being alive and would like to keep it that way for as long as possible.”

“That’s just cold,” she retorted.

“I’ll make it up to you later,” he murmured, stealing one more kiss before turning away from her. “I’ll see you at home…if you can find your way there.”

Diana glared at him as he made his way to his Porsche. Thoughts of running over his little sports car with her SUV momentarily flitted through her mind, but she decided to just appreciate the fact that she had her very own car. It was something that she was going to enjoy…even if everyone thought she couldn’t drive.

She’d show them a thing or two.

**_Wayne Manor (MU)_ **

Bruce finished shaving the left side of his face, tapping his razor against the edge of the sink before starting on the other side. He hummed softly to himself, reliving the early morning hours of sunrise that he’d spent making love with Diana.

He’d never been with a woman quite like Diana before. She was everything that he’d dreamed and fantasized that she’d be and yet so much more. He mentally kicked himself for waiting so long to fully allow her to be a part of his life in every way. He’d held so much of himself back for so long it was difficult for him to open himself up, to show such a deep level of intimacy, but with Diana, it was becoming easier for him.

Lifting his chin, he carefully shaved his neck as Diana flew into the bathroom, kneeling before the toilet to vomit. He turned a worried eye on her as she finally sat back on her heels, resting her elbows on the ring of the toilet as she held her head in her hands.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“Not really,” she muttered with a groan, lunging forward to vomit again.

Bruce quickly wiped the remaining shaving foam from his face before making his way to her side. “Diana, you don’t get sick,” he reminded her.

“I know, but something isn’t right,” she replied, sitting back once more.

She had an eerie, sinking feeling in her gut that she didn’t want to give words to. This was exactly how she had felt when she found out she was pregnant with Jacey. She rubbed her face with her hands, tears threatening to fall with the thought of the daughter that she’d lost.

She couldn’t be pregnant again…could she?

The thought excited her and yet terrified her at the same time. The idea of having a baby with Bruce was something that she’d always wanted, but she couldn’t deny the fear that gripped her that she could lose this baby too. She couldn’t go through that again.

 _“Hera, please…not again,”_ she silently prayed. 

Bruce rubbed her back, sensing the fear that was rising within her. “Diana, do you think you could be pregnant?” he softly asked, handing her a glass of water from the bathroom counter.

Rinsing her mouth, she spat the water into the toilet before drinking the rest of it. “It’s a possibility,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

He took the glass from her hand, setting it back on the counter. “How do you feel about having a baby with me?” he tentatively asked.

Diana lifted her head to gaze into his eyes to find them filled with expectant hope. It stunned her to think that Bruce would want a baby with her or want one so soon. They’d only been together a little over two months…two months since that magical night spent at his apartment at Wayne Towers when they had first made love.

“How do you feel about it?” she ventured.

“I admit that the idea terrifies me, but I love the idea of having a baby with you,” he assured her, his hand cupping her cheek.

She bit nervously at her bottom lip as she lowered her gaze. “I’m afraid,” she softly confessed. “I want this baby with you, but what if I lose the baby just like I lost Jacey?”

“Diana, you lost Jacey because of the time differential in that universe,” he reminded her. “You’re home where you belong with me.”

“I know, but there’s no guarantee,” she replied as tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

“There never is in life,” he pointed out. “Let’s go to the clinic and confirm whether you’re pregnant or not. After that, we take it one day at a time together.”

She slowly nodded her head, knowing that he was right, but it was still difficult calming that wave of panic that threatened to overwhelm her. “We might be pregnant,” she told him, the corner of her lips quirking.

“I can’t believe it,” he responded, shaking his head. “A baby…”

“I guess there’s only one way to find out.”

“I guess we’re headed to the clinic before I go into the office,” he said, a nervous knot of excitement and fear roiling fiercely in his stomach.

**_Wayne Manor (MU)_ **

“A brother?” Tim excitedly exclaimed. “I’m going to have a brother?”

“Or sister,” Bruce interjected.

“How cool is that?” Tim added with a grin.

“Is it a boy or a girl?” Damian questioned them, trying to decide whether or not he wanted to warm up to the idea of a sibling.

“We won’t know for a few more weeks,” Bruce replied, holding Diana’s hand as they sat across from Alfred and the three boys.

“Congratulations,” Alfred said, beaming proudly from ear to ear. “This is marvelous news.”

“Yeah, I guess it won’t be too bad,” Damian ultimately decided. There wasn’t anything he could do to change the fact that he was going to have a sibling. “I’m not going to babysit if that’s what you’re thinking…and diapers. No diapers.”

“Don’t worry,” Bruce told him. “You’re not going to be on diaper duty.”

“Is there anything that you need, Miss Diana,” Alfred inquired.

“I’m okay for the moment,” she assured him. “Leslie gave me something for nausea.”

“You let me know if you have any cravings,” Alfred informed her. “I’m more than happy to oblige any pregnancy cravings, day or night.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Diana replied with a smile.

“So, what are you going to do about the Justice League?” Dick asked.

Diana and Bruce looked at each other, neither considering her responsibilities with the League. “I hadn’t thought about it,” Diana admitted.

“You definitely can’t return to active duty,” Bruce pointed out.

“Yes, but I’ve only been back with the League for two months,” she reminded him. “I hate to be put on maternity leave already. I feel like I’m abandoning my responsibilities all over again.”

“But Diana, you’re pregnant,” he insisted with a frown. “You can’t possibly think you can go out on missions while carrying our child. What if you were injured?”

“I’m an Amazon, Bruce,” she stated with a scowl. “I’m not taken down easily.”

“But you can still be taken down, Diana,” he countered, growing irritated with her stubbornness. 

“Bruce!” Diana groused.

“You’re not invincible, princess.”

“Uh, guys?” Dick interjected.

“So, I’m supposed to just sit on the sidelines?” she demanded to know.

“You were just worried about something happening to our baby, and now you want to go out into battle?” Bruce ground out.

“I’m still worried about our baby, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy for me to just sit back and not do something while my teammates and the man that I love are out there putting their lives on the line,” Diana heatedly stated.

“Bruce…Diana…” Dick tried again.

“I love you too,” Bruce told her. “That’s why I don’t want you out there risking your life or the life of our baby.”

“I would never intentionally put our child’s life in danger,” Diana snapped.

“I know that, but—” Bruce began.

“Guys!” Tim shouted, capturing their attention. 

Bruce and Diana turned to find all four of them staring at them. “What?” they both yelled, clearly annoyed.

“Um, maybe you’d like to discuss it in private instead of here in front of us,” Dick pointed out.

“Yeah, we should be having a party, not an argument,” Tim added.

“We’re not arguing,” Diana uttered with a huff, clearly still irritated.

“We’re just…discussing,” Bruce tried to tell them with a scowl.

“Sounded like a fight to me,” Damian muttered under his breath.

“I think now would be a good time to start dinner,” Alfred announced as he stood to his feet. “Come along, boys. You have chores that need to be finished before we eat.”

Bruce glanced over at Diana, feeling conflicted about her being pregnant and yet wanting to still be a part of the League. “How about if you continue to do monitor duty?” he suggested. “Would you like that?”

“I guess so,” she murmured, trying to rein in her frustration. She sighed as she turned to face him. “I’m scared about the possibility of losing my baby again, but I feel so conflicted about bailing on the League. I was gone for so long before. Now, I’ll be gone for seven months or more.”

“But you’ll be gone for a good reason, princess,” he pointed out. “You’ll be protecting our baby. There are still things you can do without throwing yourself into the heart of a battle.”

“I know,” she admitted. “It was so hard not being Wonder Woman in the other universe. I ended up losing myself and my purpose. I’m afraid that will happen again if I go on maternity leave.”

“It won’t,” he assured her, leaning in to kiss her. “I won’t let it. I’ll be right here reminding you every day of you are and why I love you.”

Her lips curled with his promise, her worries subsiding. “You’re right,” she admitted.

“What was that?” he teased, cupping his ear. “I don’t think I heard you right.”

She pushed him back into the couch cushion with a playful glare. “I said it once. I won’t say it again unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

Bruce chuckled as he reached out, pulling her down on top of him. He cradled her face in his hands, kissing her with a passion felt bone-deep. “I know you’re worried, but don’t be,” he told her. “You’re right here where you belong.”

She kissed him as she melted into him, savoring the feel of his muscular body beneath her. She knew that he was right. She just prayed that this baby would be safe and healthy…and if everything went well, there might even be another baby to call their very own.

**_Wayne Manor (AU)_ **

Alfred sat in an overstuffed chair before the fire, sipping his afternoon tea. He glanced up at the portrait hanging above the fireplace mantle, smiling fondly. He was amazed by how much life had changed over the last two years. He felt a pang of sorrow as thoughts of Bruce arose in his mind. It was something that he experienced daily, his eldest charge never far from his thoughts.

Knowing he had died trying to protect Miss Diana and their unborn baby had filled him with so much pride. The Joker had told them how sorry he was that he’d arrived too late to save him. He’d also told them how Diana had been bleeding profusely when a masked man dressed like a bat had arrived through a portal to take her away.

Alfred had been more than relieved that Miss Diana had been able to return home, but he’d been worried ever since that day about baby Jacey, wondering if she had survived. From what the Joker had said, he would be surprised if little Jacey had lived. The thought had only added to their anguish over losing Bruce.

A bright light suddenly lit up the room, startling the British butler. He set his teacup aside as Diana walked through the portal and into the room. “Miss Diana,” he gasped in astonishment as he stood to his feet in disbelief.

“Alfred,” she greeted him with a grin, setting a gift bag down and embracing him.

They held each other for several minutes before Alfred pulled back with a sniff, failing at keeping his emotions under control. “You came back,” he murmured, his hand coming to rest against her cheek. “We’ve missed you, my dear.”

“I’m so sorry things happened the way they did,” she told him, tears shining in her eyes. “I never meant for Bruce to die that night or to leave you all so suddenly.”

“Shhh, we know…we know,” he reassured her, leading her to sit on the couch with him. “It was a terrible thing that happened, but some good has come from it.”

“It has?”

“Master Richard has become the vigilante Batman while Barbara has become Batgirl,” he revealed. “They are assisting the Joker in cleaning up Gotham and keeping what happened to Master Bruce from happening to others.”

“That’s incredible,” she murmured, stunned by the revelation.

“Your stories of Batman from your dimension had a great influence on Master Richard,” he replied. “They have done so much good for Gotham. He’s also taken over running Wayne Enterprises and doing a marvelous job of it.”

“I can’t believe it,” she softly said. “I’m so happy to hear that.”

“And Master Richard and Miss Barbara were married about six months after you left,” he continued.

“Alfred, do you think this milk is warm enough?” Dick asked as he entered the library, stopping short at the sight of Diana sitting in the room with Alfred. “Diana!”

Diana looked up to see Dick holding a baby in his arm and a bottle in his hand. “Dick!”

Diana stood to her feet, amazed to find that Dick was a father now. He drew her into a one-armed hug, the baby in his other arm fussing with the lack of attention. “It’s so good to see you,” he softly said, kissing her temple. “We never got to say goodbye to you.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry about that,” she replied, looking down at the baby in his arms. “Who is this?”

“This is Bruce Richard Wayne,” Dick revealed. “He was born three months ago.”

“He’s adorable,” she told him. “I’m so happy for you both.”

“Come sit and tell us everything,” Dick said, taking a seat in a chair by the couch. “Tell us everything that happened after you left.”

Diana settled back on the couch with Alfred who immediately took her hand, squeezing it affectionately. “I’m afraid I lost Jacey,” she informed them. “When I returned home, I discovered that your dimension moves at a faster pace than mine, making Bruce and I incompatible. I’m afraid I never would’ve been able to have a child with him.”

“I’m so sorry, Miss Diana,” Alfred softly said, dabbing at his eyes with his handkerchief. “We were afraid that something had happened to you.”

“It was very difficult losing Jacey and Bruce,” she admitted. “It turned my world upside down, but I eventually found my way again. I started the Jacey Wayne Pregnancy Clinic in her honor in Gotham. It’s been a great success, helping so many women already.”

“That’s awesome, Diana,” Dick replied. “Something good came from all the heartache.”

Diana smiled in relief that they were so accepting of her and all that had happened. She’d been worried that they would blame her for Bruce’s death, but Aphrodite had been right. There was much good that had come from a tragic situation that she had no idea about.

“I hear that you and Barbara are doing some great things together.”

“We decided that our Gotham needed a Batman and Batgirl of its own,” he told her. “We took Bruce’s inventions in the cave downstairs and are using them to help fight crime. I had no idea how many awesome things he made down there until he was gone. He was a real genius.”

“I thought he’d created some amazing things, but he always downplayed it,” she agreed with a frown. “He was afraid of his inventions falling into the wrong hands. He’d be so thrilled to know that they’re being used for good.”

“I miss him so much,” Dick admitted, gazing down at the baby sleeping in his arms.

“I do too,” she confessed. “Goddess Aphrodite told me that Bruce is in the Elysium Fields with your parents and Jacey. He’s happy and wishes you all well.”

Alfred dabbed at his eyes once more. “That brings me great joy knowing that he’s with family.”

Dick swallowed hard, needing to change the subject. “I see a large diamond ring on our hand,” he noted. “I take it that you and Bruce are married.”

Diana nodded her head, a smile forming on her face as she reached for the bag that she’d brought with her. “Bruce and I have been married for six months now,” she revealed, pulling out a silver-framed picture. “We have a beautiful baby boy. His name is Brayden Thomas. He’s two months old.”

Alfred took the framed picture of the baby boy with his mother, tears welling in his eyes. “He’s absolutely perfect.”

“He is,” she agreed with a proud smile, tears brimming in her eyes.

Alfred handed the framed picture to Dick who felt a knot forming in his throat as he gazed at the baby boy that looked so much like his brother. “I’m so happy for you, Diana,” Dick softly said. “I know Bruce would be happy for you too.”

Diana gazed up at the portrait above the fireplace. It was similar to the one that hung in their library of her with Bruce and Brayden. It was a picture of Dick, Barbara, and baby Bruce. It warmed her heart to know that Dick was carrying on the Wayne name with his son Bruce.

Looking at the clock on the wall, she knew that her time here was rapidly running out. “I’m afraid I have to leave,” she told them as she stood to her feet. “Bruce only gave me a twenty-minute window before I need to return home.”

Dick stood up, embracing her once more. “Please, come back and see us again if you can,” he replied. “Barbara would have loved to have seen you.”

“I will,” she agreed. “I’ll have to bring you an updated picture of Brayden.”

“We’d love that,” Alfred told her, hugging her. “Please, don’t be a stranger.”

A bright light filled the room, the portal opening up once more. “That’s my cue,” she said. “Please know you always hold a special place in my heart.”

“As do you with us,” Alfred assured her.

Diana kissed him on the cheek before disappearing through the portal. Bruce released a relieved sigh at the sight of his wife appearing in the Batcave. It had been the longest twenty minutes of his entire life, worrying about whether the portal would work as it had before. 

He hadn’t exactly been thrilled with her wish to return to the other dimension to visit Alfred and Dick, but he wasn’t going to stand in her way. He knew this was something that she’d needed to do no matter how difficult it was for him to return there. In his mind, it was the dimension that had taken her away from him.

Diana walked straight into his waiting arms, embracing him tightly. “Thank you,” she murmured. “I know you were worried, but it worked perfectly.”

“Did you get to see them?” he asked, holding her close.

Diana released her hold on him, taking him by the hand to sit before the computer system. “I got to see Alfred and Dick,” she excitedly told him. “Dick and Barbara got married and have a baby boy they named Bruce.”

“So, there still is going to be a Bruce Wayne in their Gotham,” he replied, amazed and relieved. He liked the idea of there being a Bruce Wayne in every universe.

“And a Batman and Batgirl,” she revealed.

“Dick and Barbara?”

Diana nodded her head, excited about how things had turned out. “They’re helping the Joker clean up Gotham,” she said. “Dick also took over running Wayne Enterprises.”

“I admit I was worried about you traveling back to that dimension, but I knew it was something that you had to do,” he confessed. “I’m so glad you got to see them.”

“I love you, Bruce,” she told him, her hand tenderly caressing his cheek. “You’ve been so amazing and understanding.”

“I love you too,” he replied, kissing her deeply.

The sound of fussing and whimpering interrupted their kiss, causing them to turn their attention to the baby boy in the car seat next to Bruce’s computer. “I think he’s hungry,” she said.

“That’s your cue,” he replied. “I’m afraid I can’t help you on this one.”

Diana stood up, picking the fussy baby up in her arms. “Once I feed him and put him to bed, I’ll take care of you next,” she told him, leaning down and kissing him seductively on the lips. “Unless, of course, you aren’t hungry too.”

“Are you kidding me?” he murmured, watching as she walked away with their son. “I’ll be up in a second.”

Bruce couldn’t deny the genuine contentment and happiness that had been missing from his life for far too long. He never dreamed that his life could be so perfect after being pockmarked with so much tragedy, but he knew that it had everything to do with Diana.

They’d both suffered so much heartbreak, but it had ended up bringing them together in the end, bonding them in unexpected ways. He was thankful that, despite everything they’d been through, Diana had decided to take a chance on him. He swore to himself that he’d never give her a reason to question that decision.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you for following along on this journey! Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> UP NEXT: I'm almost half done with Chp 2 of Family Crisis!! I'll start posting as soon as I get further ahead. Until then, stay safe! :)


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